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
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 27, 2023, for the award of service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis and remanded a claim for a higher disability evaluation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and remanded the other claims for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance beginning November 19, 2015.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for the Veteran's bilateral ankle and right knee disabilities to obtain a medical opinion that discounts any ameliorative effects of medication.
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