The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left ankle disability and lumbar spine disability due to additional development being needed.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claim for neurological disorder (restless leg syndrome) and OSA as secondary to service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder, depressive disorder, and unspecified anxiety disorder due to additional development being needed.,,
The deciding factor: Additional evidence is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed neurological disorder and sleep apnea.,The Board finds that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum medical opinion to determine the likely etiology of the Veteran's OSA, as well as additional private treatment records from Dr. Zittergruen, West Des Moines Family Physicians, or Unitypoint Clinic Family Medicine of West Des Moines.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disability, lumbar spine disability, neurological disorder (restless leg syndrome), obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2022
- Citation
- 22071620
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 22071620.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
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