The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an addendum opinion to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed ankle disabilities, including calcaneal spurring and lateral collateral ligament sprain.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner is needed to provide a detailed rationale for any opinions offered regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s ankle disabilities, including calcaneal spurring and lateral collateral ligament sprain.
- Claimed conditions
- Right calf disability, Left ankle calcaneal spurring, Right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165259
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 19165259.
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 granted an initial rating of 20 percent for both the right and left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, as the evidence supports marked limitation of motion that significantly impairs normal use of the ankles.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sinusitis and increased the ratings for left, right knee tendonitis, left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain and ankle fracture, and right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain to 20 percent effective June 30, 2020.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeals for increased ratings of bowel urgency, PTSD, and right ankle disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits was denied because she did not have an employment handicap and was able to obtain suitable employment consistent with her abilities, aptitudes, and interests.
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