The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a comprehensive VA examination to assess the extent of his service-connected disabilities and associated symptoms.
The deciding factor: Additional development is required as per the court's guidance in DeLuca v. Brown (8 Vet. App. 202) regarding functional loss due to pain, weakened movement, excess fatigability, or incoordination.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic synovitis of the right knee, chronic synovitis of the left knee, chronic muscular strain, low back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 1, 2004
- Citation
- 0424284
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 0424284.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher evaluation for chronic synovitis of the left knee was denied as his disability is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5260.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's left knee disability, whether his hypertension is related to service, and whether his bilateral shoulder disabilities are at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his right shoulder disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeal of the bilateral hearing loss disability claim. The remaining claims for service connection are remanded due to lack of verification of National Guard service and need for additional medical opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since August 17, 2005.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.