The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle osteoarthritis is related to his service-connected left foot disability and if it was aggravated by that condition.
The deciding factor: The opinion provided did not address whether the Veteran’s left ankle osteoarthritis was aggravated by his service-connected left foot disability, which is a necessary determination for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19101881
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 940 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19101881.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left 5th metatarsal fracture, as well as secondary service connection for left foot and ankle osteoarthritis to the same condition. The decision is based on evidence that supports these claims.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis, right ankle osteoarthritis, and right foot metatarsalgia.,Service connection is established based on direct evidence of the conditions in question.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance of another, as well as initial disability ratings for his left ankle osteoarthritis and right lower extremity radiculitis, are being remanded due to deficiencies in VA examinations and duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus his claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis is denied.
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