The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case, including obtaining medical records and conducting an orthopedic examination. The issues on appeal are related to increased disability ratings for left knee conditions and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The decision is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and development of the claims file, including obtaining medical records and conducting an orthopedic examination.
- Claimed conditions
- post-operative reconstruction, cartilage tear of the left knee, arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2003
- Citation
- 0335200
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 0335200.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for arthritis of the left knee and right knee to ensure compliance with a Joint Motion for Partial Remand from the Court.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a head injury, bilateral hearing loss, neck disability, gout of the right ankle, unspecified trauma or stress related disorder, tinnitus, and other musculoskeletal issues.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all pending appeals, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these issues.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea syndromes, arthritis of the left knee as secondary to degenerative changes in the bilateral ankles, and arthritis of the right knee as secondary to degenerative changes in the bilateral ankles. The claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied.
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