The Board has granted service connection for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the Veteran's use of a cane to assist with his service-connected foot and knee disabilities aggravated his carpal tunnel syndrome.
The deciding factor: The VA expert opined that the Veteran’s use of a cane at least as likely as not aggravated his left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome based on orthopedic literature showing that cane use can result in radial deviation, extension, pressure over the carpal tunnel and/or repeated contraction of hand and wrist muscles.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19128261
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,036 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19128261.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence. The Veteran is also asked to complete a TDIU claim form, and his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and face numbness need to be evaluated.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right wrist and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not caused by his military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and pseudofolliculitis barbae as they were not properly appealed to the Board.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 27, 2020, for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is granted.,New and relevant evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of lower back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, hepatitis C, left ankle disability, left hip disability, left thumb disability, liver cancer, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.
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