The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for an orthopedic examination to assess the current severity of his left hip, left ankle, and bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran testified that all of his service-connected disabilities on appeal had worsened since his last VA examination in October 2009. The Board finds that a contemporaneous examination is necessary to determine the current severity of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left hip degenerative joint disease (left hip disability), left ankle arthritis with partial ligament tear (left ankle disability), residuals of a right knee injury (right knee disability), residuals of a left knee injury (left knee disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2011
- Citation
- 1146556
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 1146556.
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 claims for increased ratings for his right hip strain, left hip disability, and lumbar spine disability have been denied due to failure to report for VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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