The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left foot arthritis and avascular necrosis. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions as secondary to his service-connected sesamoiditis and residual scar.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not an opinion addressing whether the Veteran’s left foot arthritis/avascular necrosis is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected sesamoiditis and residual scar, post bunionectomy. This is a necessary step to determine if service connection can be granted.
- Claimed conditions
- sesamoiditis, avascular necrosis of the left foot
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- A19003635
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A19003635.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for rating purposes and thus remands the case to obtain a new examination. The issues include determining whether bilateral hallux valgus and/or acquired pes cavus are secondary to sesamoiditis, whether there is a neurological disability of the right great toe, and whether there was a period of convalescence following the July 2022 sesamoidectomy.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical examination and treatment records, requiring a new VA examination to determine if any current left foot disability is related to service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a comprehensive examination of the feet to determine if sesamoiditis and heel spur syndrome are related to her service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the sesamoiditis did not result in moderate impairment or approximate severe hallux valgus, and thus denied a compensable rating.
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