Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for additional disability resulting from surgery performed by VA in May 1998 to treat a fracture of the distal radius. The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding whether any current disabilities are due to the May 1998 surgery and follow-up care.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right hand injury, including a broken wrist and fingers. However, the evidence does not show that his current condition is related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for left thumb and wrist disabilities, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran seeks an effective date prior to August 13, 2001 for the grant of service connection for soft tissue sarcoma of the left wrist. The Board has ordered that his claim be remanded so that all evidence received since the December 2004 statement of the case can be considered.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for residuals of fractured right wrist and bilateral hearing loss were denied as the evidence did not show that either condition warranted a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of current left wrist, cardiovascular/chest, or bilateral ankle conditions. Service connection was not granted due to lack of medical evidence supporting the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the upper extremities are all rated at their maximum allowable levels under VA rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran and requests for a personal hearing.

The Board denied service connection for right inguinal hernia and did not reopen the claims for left knee and left wrist disabilities. The appellant's claim for increased rating of residuals of appendectomy was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for shrapnel fragment wounds and scars were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to August 30, 2002 or since September 19, 2007.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow, right wrist, and neck conditions as there is no competent medical evidence of current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the complexity of her conditions and their potential relationship to her active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left wrist fracture postoperative residuals were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions warranted a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his current disabilities are related to service, and thus denied the claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a left wrist injury and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence submitted since the August 1955 rating decision did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, valvular heart disease, right hand CTS, and bilateral plantar fasciitis with heel spur and pes planus have been granted initial ratings. The lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of shrapnel fragment wounds (SFW) of the left forearm are currently rated at 40 percent, effective April 9, 2009. The Veteran is also entitled to a separate evaluation for degenerative joint disease of the left wrist and hand joints.

The Board has vacated its February 2008 decision and remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA medical nexus opinion regarding left ear hearing loss and ensuring proper VCAA notice in connection with reopening service connection claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including defective vision, left wrist disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and right knee disability. The evidence submitted since the April 2001 rating decision did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.