The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including updated VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of the right knee, diffuse arthritis of the bilateral feet, and diffuse ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine with sclerosis of both sacroiliac joints.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims require additional development due to assertions that the most recent VA examinations are outdated and do not adequately reflect the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the right knee, diffuse arthritis of the bilateral feet, diffuse ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine with sclerosis of both sacroiliac joints
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 1, 2010
- Citation
- 1032928
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 1032928.
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 remands the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of various body parts due to in-service exposure to hazardous materials, as an addendum opinion is needed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding whether his lumbar condition is a congenital defect or if it was aggravated by military service. The VA examiner will need to provide opinions on these matters.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding whether his lumbar condition is a congenital defect or disease, and if so, whether it was aggravated by military service. The Veteran also seeks service connection for radiculopathy of both lower extremities.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal is denied for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for rheumatoid arthritis of the left (minor) elbow, prior to July 24, 2020; and for rheumatoid arthritis of the right (major) elbow, since July 24, 2020. The appeal is also denied for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for rheumatoid arthritis of other joints including left shoulder, wrist, foot, knee, ankle, hip.
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