Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain relevant SSA records, clarify the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions, and schedule the Veteran for an examination by a qualified medical professional.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for further examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left hip, left knee, and left wrist disorders.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, right shoulder, hip and knee conditions, ankle, wrist, plantar fasciitis, and migraine headaches have been granted. The claim for psychiatric disability was denied as there is no current diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right wrist, left shoulder, and right knee disabilities have been granted. The right wrist is rated at 50 percent since September 25, 2014; the left shoulder is rated at 30 percent since September 25, 2014; and the right knee is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left wrist disability, including osteoarthritis and fracture dislocation of navicular, is not related to his service. The in-service injury was noted but did not show a fracture on x-ray at the time. The subsequent March 1970 injury was considered new.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations in excess of 10 percent for left wrist tendonitis and 20 percent for residuals of left elbow fracture with posttraumatic ulnar neuropathy have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of representation.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, shrapnel wounds, and hearing loss are found to be so disabling that they prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment. The TDIU is granted as of August 27, 2010.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for gastroesophageal reflux disease, bilateral hearing loss, left wrist strain, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of any unadjudicated formal or informal claim prior to July 5, 2007.

The Veteran was granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, thoracic spine compression fractures, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome. Headaches were not found to be related to service.,Service connection was established for the Veteran's right knee condition based on continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left wrist/hand disabilities are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his military service.,The Veteran's asthma and COPD are denied as they are neither proximately due to nor aggravated by his service-connected residuals of a fractured nose, and are not otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome is denied as it is neither proximately due to nor aggravated beyond its natural progression by his service-connected right hand injuries.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left carpel tunnel syndrome, and bilateral plantar fasciitis were not caused or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's right wrist injury with reflex sympathetic dystrophy is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5215. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of ankylosis or other factors warranting a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to potential unavailability of service treatment records from a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran is asked to provide information about any such periods and VA will attempt to obtain relevant records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of her left wrist disability and consideration of whether she is entitled to TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to November 10, 2015.

The Board found no evidence of a back injury or condition during service, and the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his active duty.,There was no documented neck injury or condition in service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current neck condition is less likely than not caused by military service.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board found no evidence of ankylosis to warrant a higher rating. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and deviated septum were also remanded for further examination.