The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing right ankle disability was aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is a need for clarification on whether the Veteran's pre-existing right ankle disability was aggravated during service, necessitating further examination and medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle degenerative arthritis, Residuals of fracture of the right tibia/fibula
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24024600
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 A24024600.
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 Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, and left ankle degenerative arthritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA Ankle Conditions examination conducted on September 26, 2024 did not comply with the remand directives and is therefore inadequate. The Veteran's right ankle disability remains under review for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right ankle degenerative arthritis and remanded claims for a compensable evaluation for headaches, service connection for status post left total knee arthroplasty, and service connection for status post right total knee arthroplasty.
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