The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate examination and new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims will be reconsidered with consideration of Dr. C.H.'s submissions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner was not able to provide a definitive opinion without resorting to speculation, given the conflicting medical opinions and lack of clear evidence of in-service injury or connection to service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle degenerative joint disease (DJD), gout with rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 14, 2017
- Citation
- 1739311
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 1739311.
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 Board denied increased ratings for left hip arthritis with limitation of adduction/abduction/rotation, flexion, and extension prior to December 17, 2020, as well as a compensable rating for left ankle degenerative joint disease. The appeal also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral pes planus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spondylolisthesis and bilateral ankle dermatitis, restored the ratings for left knee limitation of extension, left ankle degenerative joint disease (DJD), and right ankle DJD, and denied service connection for sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a right 5th finger scar, increased ratings for left knee flexion and extension, and rhinitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) because it needs more evidence to decide if OSA is related to the veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities, including a request for increased ratings and whether new evidence supports reopening a right ankle fracture claim. The VA will conduct examinations to assess current disability levels and provide an SOC on the reopened issue.
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