Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability of the left foot, right arm disability, left wrist disability, stomach disability (to include GERD), and headache. The Board also denied reopening the claim for a stomach disability due to lack of new or material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development regarding the need for an annual clothing allowance due to needing a splint on his left wrist. The case will be reviewed by the Chief Medical Director or their designee to determine if the splint also treats his service-connected residuals of left elbow epicondylectomy with post-operative scar and pain, and weakness of the left forearm, hand, and wrist.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for new examinations as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations. The claims of increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities are pending.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic lumbar strain. The Veteran also requested service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), residuals of a bilateral mandible fracture, chondromalacia patella of the left knee, and chondromalacia patella of the right knee. These issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination of his left wrist disability and obtaining any relevant VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims were granted, with some issues receiving increased evaluations and others having effective dates assigned. The service-connected conditions include left wrist fracture, left ankle disability, asthma, and a skin disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis disabilities are not supported by the evidence of record, and thus have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and ensuring all claims are properly adjudicated.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the issues have been dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left carpal tunnel syndrome and a skin disorder of the left side of the face and scalp are granted as they are presumed due to herbicide exposure.,Service connection is granted for a disability of the right thumb and wrist, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, amblyopia, and deformed toes. The spleen rupture claim secondary to a service-connected skin lesion of the foot is also granted.,The effective date for the increased rating of 10 percent for the service-connected skin lesion of the plantar aspect of the left foot is set at January 12, 2007.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, including residuals of a gunshot wound to the right thigh, is rated at 20 percent. The left lower extremity and both upper extremities are each rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's left median neuropathy (previously diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome) is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and verifying his periods of active duty and inactive duty training. A VA examination will be scheduled to determine the etiology of any current back disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for moderate osteoarthritis of the right wrist and a residual scar from a laceration in the right hand. The claim for other disorders, including strain, is denied due to lack of medical nexus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her left wrist fractures and scars were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the number of painful or unstable scars.

The Board has granted service connection for meralgia paresthetica and neuropathy of the right thigh, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist, diabetes mellitus type II, and sleep apnea. The effective date is set at April 7, 2014.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hemorrhoids, left shoulder impingement syndrome, urinary incontinence, posterior fistulotomy, status post hemangioma liver with scars, diverticulitis, and retinaculum removal are all granted. The Veteran is assigned a noncompensable (0%) disability evaluation for her service-connected lipoma removal scar.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left wrist CTS is not related to his active duty service and denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but the Board has found that he should be granted separate ratings for noncompensable limitation of motion (flexion limited to 110 degrees or better and full extension) and slight instability.,For his right CTS, the Veteran's condition most nearly approximates incomplete paralysis of the major median nerve with no more than mild impairment. For his left CTS, it is also rated as having no more than mild impairment.,The Veteran's bilateral cortical cataracts are currently rated as noncompensable and do not meet criteria for a compensable rating.,PTSD has been granted service connection effective August 27, 2012. The Veteran's PTSD most nearly approximates occupational and social impairment with an occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.