The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left ankle and right knee disabilities due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran is also seeking a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, which are inextricably intertwined with the rating issues.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations were found to be inadequate, requiring additional information regarding the severity of the Veteran's symptoms during flareups and whether he should receive separate ratings for left ankle instability.
- Claimed conditions
- Soft tissue calcification beneath the lateral malleolus, left ankle, Degenerative joint disease of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2023
- Citation
- 23038640
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 23038640.
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 Veteran's right and left knee braces caused wear and tear to his clothing in the year of 2021, leading to a decision granting annual clothing allowances for both knee braces.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Knee as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, but has remanded the claim for Lumbar Spine Disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to inconsistencies in the January 2022 VA examination reports and a need for clarification regarding the Veteran's intent when filing his Notice of Disagreement. The AOJ is directed to schedule new examinations, obtain retrospective medical opinions, and clarify the severity of the Veteran's disabilities during the relevant period on appeal.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left and right knee, osteoarthritis of the left shoulder, a right shoulder condition, and intervertebral disc disorder of the spine as there is no evidence to support that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.
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