The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hand and left ankle conditions, which may be related to rheumatic fever. The case is being remanded for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: The examiner needs to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's bilateral hand and left ankle conditions are manifestations of polyarthralgia in the post-rheumatic fever infection setting.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic fever
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2023
- Citation
- 23016798
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 23016798.
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for several conditions, including low back disability and diabetes mellitus, type II, were granted. The claim for rheumatic fever was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the appeal for further development due to new evidence added since the April 2024 supplemental statement of the case and consideration of both the former and revised versions of the rating criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for several issues including earlier effective dates and increased disability ratings for heart conditions, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability. The Veteran's private treatment records are missing and need to be obtained.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for rheumatic fever, rhinitis and hay fever due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's November 1959 Report of Medical Examination.
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