The Board has denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is not related to his military service.,The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee post-operative status repair prior to March 5, 2019 and initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee traumatic arthritis with decreased flexion and pain prior to March 5, 2019.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The VA examiner found no evidence of recurrence, progression, chronicity, residuals sequelae of the bilateral CTS to support a link to service. The examiner also noted that prior to 2012, there were no symptoms or diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Right Knee Post-Operative Status Repair with Traumatic Arthritis and Decreased Flexion/Pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21042472
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 21042472.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and residuals of a right ankle fracture, did not render her unemployable prior to August 11, 2021. The Board found that the Veteran was unemployable due to a nonservice-connected psychotic disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not rated higher than noncompensable, his right knee disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to July 16, 2019 or 30 percent from September 1, 2020, and he failed to establish service connection for chronic bronchitis (COPD), fungal infection, left knee disorder, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left elbow disorder, or diabetes.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no persuasive evidence showing he needed regular aid and assistance from another person or was housebound as a result of his service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to uncertainty regarding the Veteran's diagnosis of ALS and insufficient evidence on other conditions. The issues related to sleep apnea, prostate cancer, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome require additional medical opinions.
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