Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran's knee, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic cough, and headaches are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including a comprehensive examination to assess the cumulative impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board finds that the appellant does not have a current skin condition of the hands and wrists, and thus cannot establish service connection for this claim. The Board also notes that there is no evidence of record supporting the other two issues raised in his appeal.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right humeral head lesion, which he contends is related to his service-connected thoracic outlet syndrome. The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the onset of the condition and its relationship to other service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand is currently rated at 10 percent, and this rating remains unchanged.

The Board denied service connection for chronic right wrist, left wrist, and left shoulder disorders. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the previously denied claims of headaches and diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to untranslated documents and other issues.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches, bipolar disorder, and residuals of a fractured left wrist. The claim for reopening the low back pain was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left wrist and forearm disability, as well as PTSD, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of the current 10% ratings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical examinations.

The VA determined that the Veteran's right wrist disability, which is currently manifested by pain and limited motion, does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include major depressive disorder and multiple joint issues, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of June 1, 2008. The Board has determined that he meets the criteria for a TDIU effective from this date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The issues of entitlement to service connection for gastroenteritis, residuals of a left ankle sprain, and bilateral hearing loss were addressed by the RO in an August 2003 rating decision, which was not appealed. As such, these decisions are final.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, heart disease, and emphysema, are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a direct link between these conditions and his military service. The claims for secondary service connection were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder and a skin disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection have been denied. The initial evaluations for the claimed conditions are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, right arm injury, low back disorder, left elbow disorder, and neck disorder. The effective date of these decisions is not specified.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection on multiple conditions and did not assign initial ratings in excess of certain disability levels.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of arthritis of the right wrist and denied his increased rating claims for ulnar nerve disability, cervical spine disability, and left elbow surgical scar.