Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran's CTS of the right upper extremity is rated at 50 percent from February 14, 2003, through January 24, 2008. The claim for an increased rating for CTS of the left upper extremity was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and treatment records. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's joint pain, chronic fatigue, and headaches are found to be related to his service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder and psychotic features.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, lipomas, right hip disorder, bilateral knee disorders, and right hand/wrist disorder. These claims are now considered on their merits.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU based on his service-connected lower back and right wrist disorders, effective December 17, 1996. However, the RO discontinued this benefit due to substantial gainful employment from December 1997 onwards.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for certification for automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only due to his inability to use his lower extremities, despite having significant disability.

The Veteran's headaches were found to be related to service, and she is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to address the etiology of his claimed disabilities and to clarify the nature and severity of his service-connected left ulnar neuropathy.

The Board has granted service connection for lupus and the associated hip, shoulder, and joint conditions. The Veteran's service-connected mechanical low back pain is rated at 40 percent from October 18, 1997.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as his request for a TDIU. The issues of reduction in rating were found to have been properly processed.

The Veteran's right wrist disability has been rated as 10 percent disabling since December 17, 2004. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist disorder and an increased disability evaluation for right (major) CTS, both rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's right and left CTS have been granted service connection with an effective date of January 28, 1997.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, left ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, right knee chondromalacia patella prior to July 15, 2002, a rating in excess of zero percent for right knee chondromalacia patella prior to March 1, 2007, and a rating in excess of 30 percent for status post right knee arthroplasty with chondromalacia patella and degenerative joint disease prior to April 1, 2010. The effective dates were not established.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted, and his chronic left wrist disability is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses is being remanded due to procedural issues and the need for further development regarding his coverage and eligibility.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and carpal tunnel syndrome. The Board finds that the criteria for Total Disability Evaluation based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) have been met from December 15, 2006 to November 15, 2010.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is manifested by a right maxillary nasal polyp, and the Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6522.

The Veteran's GERD was found to have begun during active duty and has continued to the present, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits were denied. The appeal is mixed as some issues were granted and others were not.