The Veteran's bilateral foot conditions, left knee condition, and right ankle conditions are not service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral upper extremity neurological condition (carpal tunnel syndrome) is also not service-connected.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not adequately address the Veteran's December 2002 report of carpal tunnel syndrome during service and the most recent cervical spine examination is too old for an adequate evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Foot Conditions, Left Knee Condition, Right Ankle Conditions
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2026
- Citation
- 26000143
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 26000143.
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 bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee conditions, finding that they are related to his active service.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for pre-existing left and right knee conditions, finding that these conditions were aggravated by military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle conditions as secondary to his service-connected left hip replacement.
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.