The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that an updated VA examination is necessary to determine the current nature and extent of the veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities given reports of worsening symptoms since the last examination in 2004.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the medial meniscus of the left knee, Degenerative changes of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0901871
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0901871.
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 granted an effective date of July 29, 2022, and no earlier for the grant of a 20 percent disability rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine and intervertebral disc syndrome, as well as service connection for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right knee disability was denied as the evidence did not show any findings of ankylosis, recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, dislocation or symptomatic removal of the semilunar cartilage, tibial or fibular impairment, genu recurvatum, extension limited to 10 degrees or more, flexion limited to 45 degrees or less, or functional equivalent thereof.
- Denied
The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent each, but the Board has determined that these ratings are not warranted based on the current evidence of record.
- Denied
The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.,The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is currently rated at 10 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.
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