The Board has found that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the back and knees is not related to service, including herbicide exposure or secondary to his PTSD. The skeletal arthritis claim remains pending as it lacks a clear opinion on whether it is due to herbicide exposure or PTSD.,The Veteran's hypertension claim also remains pending as there are no adequate opinions regarding its relationship to service, specifically herbicide exposure or PTSD.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claims for direct service connection and secondary service connection for his degenerative arthritis of the back and knees, skeletal arthritis, and hypertension. The VA examiners did not provide clear opinions on these theories.,The Veteran has provided an article related to PTSD and physical health which may be considered in determining whether there is a link between his service-connected PTSD and his current hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the back and knees, Skeletal arthritis of the hands, feet, neck, and hips, Hypertension (HTN)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2022
- Citation
- 22049090
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 22049090.
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 remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, as it is related to his service-connected major depressive disorder. The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate and less probative due to its failure to provide a direct service connection opinion or an aggravation opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected hypertension and somatic symptom disorder are denied. The Board has remanded the claims for cardiovascular, peripheral artery disease, and lung cancer with emphysema.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for various conditions and an increased rating for right shoulder disability. The Veteran's appeal is currently under review.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for hypertension (HTN) and has remanded the issues of service connection for cardiomegaly and hypertensive heart disease.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.