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Remanded (sent back)

The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining new VA etiology opinions to determine the etiology of the Veteran's joint pain associated with his right knee, bilateral elbows, bilateral shoulders, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and left wrist.

The deciding factor: The April 2023 VA examination potentially raised the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left Achilles calcaneal spur disability, and the Board found that the April 2022 VA opinion addressing secondary service connection was inadequate. Therefore, new opinions are needed.

Claimed conditions
generalized joint disability, right knee arthritis, bilateral elbow condylitis, bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome, plantar fasciitis, left wrist de Quervain's syndrome
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
May 15, 2025
Citation
25006656

Veterans Law Judge

Michael A. Pappas

Decisions by this judge: 1,858 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 25006656.

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

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