Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, but denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates. The case is being remanded to issue a Statement of the Case on these issues.

The Veteran's wrist disabilities have been rated at the minimum compensable level (10%) for the entire period on appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a thoracic spine disorder, right carpal tunnel syndrome, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, diabetes mellitus, left carpal tunnel syndrome, glaucoma with cataract in the right eye and cataract in the left eye, as well as peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity. The evidence does not support a current diagnosis for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and the retrieval of outstanding private treatment records. The issues on appeal include ratings for various service-connected conditions, as well as claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and various lower extremity conditions are all granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has established a current disability, in-service noise exposure, and continuity of symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome did not have its onset during active service and is not etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claims, including the issues related to major depressive disorder, TDIU, knee condition, cervical spine condition, shoulder conditions, anxiety, and right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's left wrist and elbow disabilities have been granted increased ratings, with the left wrist receiving a 10% rating effective March 11, 2013. The left elbow disability received a 10% rating from February 6, 1992, through March 10, 2013, and a 10% rating on and after March 11, 2013. An effective date of June 14, 2005, was granted for the TDIU claim.

The Board denied service connection for various arthritis conditions and the initial disability rating claim for ankylosing spondylitis of the thoracolumbar spine. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral wrist arthritis has been denied as there is no evidence of current bilateral wrist arthritis. The left carpometacarpal CMC joint arthritis, already service-connected, was not considered in the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development regarding her service connection claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and her increased rating claim for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further medical development to clarify the etiology of his carpal tunnel syndrome and to assess the severity of his hearing loss and lumbosacral strain.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The appellant's service-connected right wrist disability may have worsened since his last VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his left wrist and bilateral foot cold injury residuals, render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development as the RO has already granted service connection for all identified disabilities of the bilateral wrists, including carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist and left wrist, and a left wrist strain. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a right wrist disability will be dismissed.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unemployable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is related to his service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to in-service exposure to loud noise. The claims for heart disease, diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, and carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for chloracne and right wrist disability with carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as his claim for TDIU based on these disabilities, were denied. The effective date of service connection for chloracne was also not granted earlier than September 8, 2011.,The Veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated at 50 percent under DCs 8599-8515.

The Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability has resulted in loss of use of the right hand on and after April 22, 2014, warranting SMC benefits.