Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's history of right ankle sprain is due to a disease or injury incurred in active service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated at 30 percent, effective March 1, 2009. The RO denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for a hearing, and the Board finds that there are no remaining issues for appellate consideration.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and thus no jurisdiction remains to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a lack of compliance with previous instructions and to provide the appellant with a new VCAA notice letter.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel right wrist, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current right wrist disability is related to her service injury. The Veteran was also denied other issues including urinary tract infection, kidney stones, right knee injury, right hip injury, migraines, and rotator cuff tear.

The Veteran is seeking special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities. However, the VA needs to provide an adequate opinion regarding whether he is in need of regular aid and attendance from another person.

The Veteran's service connection claims for multiple conditions, including retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee, tendinitis of the right wrist, recurrent tinnitus, chronic vasomotor rhinosinusitis with a retention cyst of the left maxillary sinus, and other unspecified disorders have been granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cervical spine disorder was aggravated by service. The carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral hands is granted as service connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, a cervical spine disorder, a low back disorder, a left shoulder disorder, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran was granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, left distal forearm scar, and right ear hearing loss with noncompensable evaluations assigned to each.

The Veteran's appeal for higher initial evaluations for residuals of a right ankle fracture, right ankle scar, and residual numbness of the tip of the right middle finger due to suture has been denied.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for folliculitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome, right hand was not incurred in or related to his active duty service and denied the claim.

The Board denied service connection for tendonitis of the right wrist and did not assign a rating for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to service, and the claim for this condition is granted. The claims for tinnitus, knee disabilities, wrist disabilities, shoulder disabilities, neck disability, and lower back disability are all denied.

The Veteran's right wrist arthritis is rated at 10 percent, and his right foot and left foot disabilities are each rated at 20 percent. The appeals for higher ratings have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and determine if there is a link between his PTSD and a specific stressor.

The Veteran's service-connected ganglion cysts of the right and left wrists with postoperative scars have been evaluated at their maximum, and no higher ratings are warranted.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss effective March 25, 2008.