The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left hip due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including a secondary service connection opinion considering all relevant conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address whether any of the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities caused or aggravated his current osteoarthritis in his left hip.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the left hip, right knee arthroplasty with traumatic arthritis, right ankle fracture, right hip arthritis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21075247
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 21075247.
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 Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for left hip arthritis, right hip arthritis, type II diabetes, right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, and sleep apnea as they have become service-connected in other rating decisions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on housebound status as he does not have a single disability rated at 100% and his disabilities are not so severe that they render him substantially confined to his residence.
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