The Board remands the claims for further development, as an adequate medical opinion was not obtained regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle condition is aggravated by his service-connected right ankle or knee conditions and to obtain a retrospective opinion considering functional loss without the ameliorative effects of medication during the relevant period.
The deciding factor: The AOJ did not provide an adequate opinion on whether the Veteran's left ankle condition was aggravated by his service-connected right ankle or knee conditions, and there were errors in obtaining medical opinions regarding the impact of medications on the severity of the Veteran's GERD, right knee, and bilateral pes planus.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle condition, right knee strain, bilateral pes planus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25087645
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