The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left foot disabilities. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his left foot conditions, which include cavovarus foot, bilateral acquired pes cavus, and left foot varus deformity. He also seeks secondary service connection for these conditions as related to his service-connected right ankle surgical repair with debridement, lumbar strain, left ankle scars (painful), right or left ankle scar, and right foot pes cavus. The Board has requested additional opinions from an appropriate clinician to address the nature and etiology of his left foot disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous opinions were inadequate for rating purposes due to lack of explanation regarding how the Veteran's service-connected conditions could have aggravated or caused his left foot disabilities, and also lacked a discussion on the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral ankle disabilities and his left foot condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot cavovarus foot, bilateral acquired pes cavus, left foot varus deformity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23001607
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 785 · Granted: 34% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 23001607.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral acquired pes cavus and plantar fasciitis, bilateral shin splints, and obstructive sleep apnea due to incomplete VA examination records and failure to provide adequate examinations.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus, granted a separate 10 percent rating for bilateral acquired pes cavus, and denied entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee strain, and remanded claims for service connection for bilateral acquired pes cavus, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral foot condition and lumbar spine disorder due to incomplete or inconsistent examination reports, lack of consideration of lay statements, and need for additional medical opinions.
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