The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection of left and right foot post-traumatic arthritis, secondary to OSA. The Board found that the medical opinions were inadequate and ordered new examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA medical opinions did not adequately address whether obesity caused or aggravated by the service-connected OSA was a substantial factor in causing the veteran's foot conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot post-traumatic arthritis, right foot post-traumatic arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25004271
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (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 A25004271.
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 granted service connection for migraine headaches, right knee strain with post-traumatic arthritis, and right foot post-traumatic arthritis based on the evidence of record.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election of administrative review options.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left foot condition must be readjudicated based on receipt of new and relevant evidence. The AOJ is therefore remanded to consider the merits of the underlying claim in the first instance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right ankle and right foot post-traumatic arthritis, status post triple arthrodesis surgery. The disabilities are deemed to have been incurred during active duty.
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.