The Veteran's left ankle disability is granted as aggravated by his service, and he has radiculopathy of the lower extremities secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability. However, his migraines prior to March 30, 2021 are not rated higher than noncompensable.,The Veteran's left ankle arthritis is granted as aggravated by service, but his migraines and radiculopathy of the lower extremities secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability are granted.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing left ankle arthritis was aggravated by his military service beyond its natural progression.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with radiculopathy of the lower extremities as a complication of his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The VA examiner opined that this condition is secondary to his service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disability, rheumatoid arthritis of left ankle (presumptive due to service connection for lumbar spine disability)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- June 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22036385
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 22036385.
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 expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left, right ankle disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, left and right shin splints, and left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate nexus opinions in the VA examination reports. The Veteran contends that her current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during basic training.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left knee disability, tension headaches, a left ankle disability, and a back disability due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence received, and a need for additional medical opinions considering the Veteran's military occupation as a water safety survival instructor.
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