The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and needs further clarification on whether the Veteran's current right ankle conditions are related to his service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a clear opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current right ankle conditions, which is required for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals, status-post total right ankle replacement, right ankle DJD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21022999
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 21022999.
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 reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, left ankle DJD, right ankle DJD, left knee DJD, right knee DJD, left shoulder DJD, and right shoulder DJD. The new evidence provided reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.,The Board has also reopened the Veteran's service connection claim for muscle spasm disorder, IBS, and osteoporosis. However, no rating assigned or effective date was determined as these claims are still pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 24, 1998, for right ankle DJD in July 2006. The decision was based on the correct facts and application of law at that time.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are found to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board grants entitlement to TDIU.
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