The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected foot and ankle disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate reasons or bases provided by the Board in its February 2019 decision. The issues include DJD of the left and right feet and ankles, as well as TTS of the same areas.
The deciding factor: The Board found that VA had not satisfied its duty to assist in providing adequate reasons or bases for its findings regarding the Veteran's service-connected foot and ankle disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left foot and ankle, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (TTS) of the right foot and ankle, TTS of the left foot and ankle, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the right foot and ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21022949
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 21022949.
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 has decided to remand the claims for increased ratings for DJD and TTS of the bilateral feet and ankles, as they are not adequately addressed in the November 2017 VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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