The Veteran's service connection claims for various ankle, knee, wrist, elbow, hip, and foot conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: Additional evidence has been submitted that may support the Veteran’s claims, but further examination is required to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ankle pain, Right ankle osteoarthritis, bone spurs, and muscular issues, Left ankle osteoarthritis, bone spurs, and muscular issues (previously claimed as left ankle pain), Lumbar spine degenerative disease with radiculopathy also claimed as facet disease, arthritis, sclerosis, bone spurs, degenerative disc disease, disk narrowing and muscular issues, Right knee degenerative disease also claimed as joint narrowing, osteoarthritis, bone spurs, and muscular issues, Left knee degenerative disease also claimed as joint narrowing, osteoarthritis, bone spurs, and muscular issues, Right wrist condition also claimed as wrist pain, narrowing of joints and arthritis, Left wrist condition also claimed as wrist pain, narrowing of joints and arthritis, Right elbow condition also claimed as elbow pain, narrowing of joints and arthritis, Left elbow bursitis also claimed as elbow pain, narrowing of joints and arthritis, Right hip strain; also claimed as facet disease, hip pain, narrowing of joints, bone spurs and muscular issues, Left hip strain; also claimed as facet disease, hip pain, narrowing of joints, bone spurs and muscular issues, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) also claimed as acid reflux, Bilateral foot condition also claimed as onychomycosis and toenail fungus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19100942
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 appeal to obtain a VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's contentions of in-service training with heavy gear and equipment.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for fibromyalgia was granted with an effective date of August 14, 2023. The appeals for earlier effective dates and higher ratings were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, right hip degenerative joint disease and rheumatoid arthritis with acetabular cyst status post right total hip replacement, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, fever sores, and a compromised immune system, as the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability since September 26, 2024.
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