Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected right wrist disability.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not attributable to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and wrist disorders, as well as his increased rating claim and TDIU request. The effective date of service connection for depressive disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to evaluate his skin disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, bilateral hand disorder, and neck disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the June 4, 1985 rating decision did not contain CUE in assigning an initial noncompensable disability rating for residuals of a left tibial fracture with osteoarthritic changes and chronic chondromalacia of the knee. The denial was based on the evidence showing no functional limitations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left shoulder, right wrist, and left wrist conditions have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hand/wrist disability is not etiologically related to service or any incident therein, including as secondary to his service-connected left lower extremity and cervical spine disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome warrants a rating of 10 percent, as it is not more than mild in nature and does not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board found that the January 1966 rating decision denying service connection for residuals of nonunited fracture of the right wrist was not a clear and unmistakable error, as there was no evidence showing an intercurrent injury or worsening during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of either hand, as defined by VA regulations. Therefore, he is not entitled to special monthly compensation or automobile financial assistance and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 60 percent, which does not meet the criteria for TDIU on a schedular basis. The Director of Compensation and Pension Service determined that the Veteran is not entitled to TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to his incarceration.

The Board denied the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that there was no evidence showing its onset during active duty and concluding that it is not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the right shoulder degenerative joint disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the left shoulder injury to include acromioclavicular joint calcifications did not warrant an initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to January 13, 2003, from 40 percent after that date, or for a wrist ganglion cyst or thumb injury.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include a right wrist fracture and dislocation with traumatic arthritis, coccygodynia with fracture of the sacral coccygeal joint, and multiple scars, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew it prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, while significant, do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment in a sedentary capacity.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a separate compensable evaluation for bone/joint deformity, to include impairment of pronation or supination, as part of service-connected posttraumatic arthritis of the distal radius of the right wrist.

The Board has determined that a grant of service connection for scar residuals from breast reduction surgery is in order. The Veteran's current disability, including the left wrist disorder and bilateral eye condition, are not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were generally granted, with some issues remanded. The cervical spine disability was granted a higher rating after April 26, 2006, while other conditions like gastritis, hemorrhoids, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome in the left wrist, PTSD, tinnitus, hypertension, and vertigo/dizziness (claimed as dizziness) were not established as service-connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist tendonitis and an initial compensable rating for a left wrist scar, finding that his claim for service connection was not supported by evidence of record.