The Board has denied service connection for left and right ankle disorders, as well as metatarsalgia. The claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder are also remanded.,Service connection is not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of current diagnoses in the medical records.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not address or discuss the findings made in the May 2019 private medical opinion, which found consistent pain and injury since service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, metatarsalgia (bilateral feet condition), lumbar spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 9, 2023
- Citation
- 23044356
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 23044356.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and lower extremity disorders, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back, right hip, and right ankle disorders as secondary to his left knee disorder. The AOJ must obtain VA examinations and provide answers to questions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, but denied his claim for right knee disorder. The Board also remanded the cases of left leg disorder and lumbar spine disorder.
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