The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected left ankle sprain is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination conducted in October 2020. The Board will seek an adequate medical examination and consider all relevant evidence before making a decision.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's findings regarding range of motion upon repeated use over time are inconsistent with the Veteran's reports of weakness, swelling, and tenderness after prolonged use.
- Claimed conditions
- lateral collateral ligament sprain, left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26032945
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 A26032945.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for TMJD and granted a separate 10 percent rating for limited lateral excursion. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for left ankle, left foot, and right foot gout were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of October 25, 2021, for the Veteran's service connection claims for plantar fasciitis and pes planus, bilateral; left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome and tendinitis; trochanteric pain syndrome, left hip; trochanteric pain syndrome, right hip; lateral collateral ligament sprain, left ankle; and lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for lateral collateral ligament sprain of both ankles as the evidence did not support a relationship between the current disabilities and the Veteran's active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for a bilateral ankle and foot disability, finding that the evidence did not warrant reconsideration under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) and that an earlier effective date was otherwise not warranted.
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