The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for rating purposes and thus remands the case to obtain a new examination. The issues include determining whether bilateral hallux valgus and/or acquired pes cavus are secondary to sesamoiditis, whether there is a neurological disability of the right great toe, and whether there was a period of convalescence following the July 2022 sesamoidectomy.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not adequately address all issues raised in the appeal, including the etiology of bilateral hallux valgus and acquired pes cavus, the presence of a neurological disability of the right great toe, and whether there was a period of convalescence following the sesamoidectomy.
- Claimed conditions
- sesamoiditis, bilateral hallux valgus, bilateral acquired pes cavus (claw foot), neurological disability of the right great toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26039047
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 A26039047.
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 determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable from performing all forms of substantially gainful employment that are consistent with his education and occupational experience, granting entitlement to TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions regarding his bilateral knee and foot conditions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are currently found to be related to active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for allergic rhinitis, hypertension, tinea pedis, bilateral pes planus, and bilateral hallux valgus. The Veteran's claims for PTSD and bilateral sciatica are remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hallux valgus and bilateral pes planus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset in service. Service connection was denied for left foot peripheral neuropathy, right foot peripheral neuropathy, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis.
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