The Veteran claims service connection for arthritis of the elbows, wrists, fingers and hips as secondary to his service-connected bilateral foot disabilities. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The claim requires an opinion on whether the claimed arthritis is aggravated by or directly related to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the elbows, arthritis of the wrists, arthritis of the fingers, arthritis of the hips
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2010
- Citation
- 1002860
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 1002860.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been presented to warrant readjudication of the claim for service connection for arthritis of the knees, elbows, and hands. The matter is being remanded for further consideration on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's assertions regarding his hips locking and falling into foxholes.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for vitiligo, bilateral hand degenerative arthritis, and bilateral distal radioulnar osteoarthritis have been granted.
- Denied
The appeal for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss was denied, and the appeals for service connection for arthritis of the hips, sleep apnea, respiratory condition (including asthma), and tinnitus were dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to service. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various gastrointestinal and hip disabilities are being reviewed again.
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