The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral heel spurs, lower back arthritis, and bilateral knee arthritis with patellofemoral pain syndrome due to inadequate medical opinions and unverified Reserve and National Guard service dates.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions are insufficient as they did not consider all relevant evidence including the Veteran's lay statements about his symptoms and history. The service connection theory is 'direct' because no presumption, secondary condition, aggravation, or new and material evidence was claimed or found.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral heel spurs, lower back arthritis, bilateral knee arthritis with patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2024
- Citation
- 24001341
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (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 24001341.
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 case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of bilateral heel spurs and peripheral neuropathy in the feet. The VA clinician is asked to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are causally or etiologically related to the Veteran's self-reported stress fractures and wearing ill-fitting shoes during service.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, and TDIU is denied. Several service connection claims are remanded.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and bilateral heel spurs, but denied increased ratings for carpal tunnel release scars and remanded claims for increased ratings of various conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral heel spurs, bilateral midfoot arthritis, and right posterior tibial tendonitis due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.