The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to insufficient examination and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral ankle conditions, including during flare-ups. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with these issues.
The deciding factor: The VA examination did not comply with the Board's instructions regarding the severity of the Veteran's bilateral ankle condition, particularly during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle Achilles tendonitis, right ankle Achilles tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2022
- Citation
- 22071544
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 22071544.
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 restored service connection for right ankle Achilles tendonitis and granted service connection for left ankle sprain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his service-connected left ankle Achilles tendonitis is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the condition, as previous examinations did not include range of motion testing.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle Achilles tendonitis, thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with DDD, IVDS and spinal stenosis, and right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy. The claim for right foot pes planus with plantar fasciitis was dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, ankle Achilles tendonitis, and knee patellofemoral syndrome to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
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