The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot disability, finding that additional development is needed to address the nature and etiology of his left foot disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board after further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided were inadequate as they did not consider the impact of the Veteran's reported altered gait due to his right ankle disability on his left foot disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot degenerative arthritis, mild hallux valgus deformity of the great toe with moderate flexion deformity of fourth and fifth toes, early spur formation in the plantar aspect of the calcaneus, left naviculocuneiform posttraumatic degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2021
- Citation
- 21071246
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 21071246.
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 bilateral dry eye syndrome, left foot degenerative arthritis, and anxiety disorder. The claims for service connection for left heel bursitis, a rating in excess of 10 percent for the back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disability, scalp scar, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for the right shoulder disability were denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's requirement for assistance with activities of daily living was granted as a result of his service-connected left and right foot disabilities, specifically due to osteomyelitis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and left foot degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's conditions were related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various degenerative arthritis and impingement syndrome conditions of the Veteran's left foot, right foot, left hand, right hand, left knee, right knee, right ankle, left shoulder, and right shoulder, as there was no evidence that these conditions were caused by or incurred in service or secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
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