The Veteran's service connection claims for spondylosis of the lumbar spine, arthritis of the left knee and arthritis of the left ankle are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.,His TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with his service connection claims.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not address the impact of the Veteran's altered gait or falls on his back, left knee, and left ankle disorders. Additionally, there was insufficient evidence to determine if these conditions were aggravated by his right knee condition.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"spondylosis of the lumbar spine with scoliosis and convexity to the left","secondary_to":"service-connected postoperative meniscectomy, right knee"}, {"condition_name":"arthritis of the left knee","secondary_to":"service-connected right total knee arthroplasty"}, {"condition_name":"arthritis of the left ankle","secondary_to":"service-connected right total knee arthroplasty"}
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20070076
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 service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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