The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinion and development. The issue remains whether his current bilateral great toe arthritis is related to military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not address the direct relationship between the Veteran's military service and his current bilateral foot disability, nor did it provide an opinion on whether any service-connected disabilities aggravated his current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral great toe arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2011
- Citation
- 1144480
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1144480.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hallux valgus of the left and right foot, hammer toes on the right foot, and bilateral great toe arthritis, all secondary to the service-connected porokeratosis with intractable plantar keratosis. The increased rating period for the service-connected left foot porokeratosis was denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding service connection for cold injury residuals affecting the feet and right ankle. The Veteran's symptoms of pain, instability, and nerve damage need to be addressed in a new examination.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, and a 10 percent rating was assigned. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings and earlier effective dates are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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