Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeal for SMC based on aid and attendance. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is granted as it relates to his service-connected pain disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral wrist disorder, bilateral hand disorder, tinnitus, and an acquired mental disorder (PTSD). The hearing loss claim was also denied as new and material evidence had not been received. The right eye condition claim was also denied as new and material evidence had not been received.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted for right shoulder bursitis, left shoulder separation (previously considered acute), bilateral hand disability, and left hip degenerative joint disease. However, the claim for left shoulder separation remains denied.,Service connection has not been established for left shoulder separation due to lack of evidence showing a chronic condition during service or any subsequent continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for VA examinations to assess the severity of the service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ganglion cyst of the left wrist, tinnitus, and right foot disability was denied. The Veteran's anxiety disorder not otherwise specified with PTSD has been granted a rating of 30% prior to July 7, 2009.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right wrist disability is not related to his service, as there was no chronic residual of a 1968 right hand injury documented during or after service. The evidence does not establish continuity of symptomatology and the medical opinion indicates no causal connection between the in-service injury and the current condition.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and aortic valve sclerosis, as these conditions are proximately due to or the result of his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's other claims have been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left wrist disability and the residuals of a left third metacarpal fracture were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The claim for an initial rating higher than 50 percent for bilateral pes planus was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for cognitive impairment and memory loss, bilateral eye disability, bilateral hearing loss, or bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as these conditions are not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the current bilateral knee disability is likely due to service. Service connection was also granted for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, but a secondary service connection claim for this condition remains pending.

The Veteran's current left upper extremity disabilities, including carpal tunnel syndrome, acromioclavicular joint and glenohumeral joint degenerative features, and mild osteoarthritis of the wrist, are not related to his military service.

The RO reduced the disability ratings for both service-connected conditions, but the reduction in the rating for incomplete paralysis of the ulnar nerve was not proper.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as it affects the combined disability rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for residuals of a right wrist fracture with carpal dissociation due to inadequate development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral upper extremity neurologic disability including peripheral neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome. The appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examination report.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, a skin disorder, headaches, neuropsychological symptoms (muscle twitches), cardiovascular disorders, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory disorders (claimed as mesothelioma), and GERD. The decision also addressed an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's DeQuervain's tenosynovitis of the right wrist with mild mid-compartment joint space narrowing and mild degenerative changes at the triscaphe joint, as well as his DeQuervain's tenosynovitis of the left wrist, are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a restoration of a 30 percent rating for his left wrist disability was granted, effective December 1, 2009. The Board found that the evidence did not demonstrate material improvement in the Veteran's condition at the time of the reduction and restored the original 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's benign left submandibular mass, lesion affecting the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome are all found to be related to her period of active service.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the right and left wrists have been rated at 10 percent since December 5, 2008. The ratings remain unchanged as of July 28, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an etiological opinion regarding whether the Veteran's in-service duties caused his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.