The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine, left hand strain, and left ankle strain due to incomplete development of the record.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the opinions provided were inadequate as they did not address all evidence in the STRs and failed to consider the Veteran's ongoing symptoms during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine, Left hand strain, Left ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2026
- Citation
- A26013167
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 A26013167.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed as a matter of law due to a full grant of benefits. The appeals for left knee and left ankle disabilities are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain and left ankle strain, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial ratings for a left ankle strain and limitation of extension and flexion of the left knee have been granted. The rating for limitation of flexion is subject to further review.
- Granted
The Veteran's left and right ankle conditions are rated at a 20 percent rating for the entire period on appeal, effective January 23, 2020.
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