The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for post-operative degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees are being remanded due to incomplete treatment records.
The deciding factor: Incomplete medical records, particularly from Kaiser Permanente and other healthcare providers, necessitate obtaining additional evidence before a decision can be made on the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- post-operative degenerative joint disease of the right knee, post-operative degenerative joint disease of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2015
- Citation
- 1543859
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 1543859.
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 Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and obtaining relevant medical records. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated accordingly.
- Granted
The Veteran's post-operative degenerative joint disease of the right knee has been manifested by pain, tenderness, stiffness, fatigability, weakness, crepitus, guarding of movement, and some limitation of flexion. The disability is currently rated at 10 percent.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee instability is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5257. The post-operative degenerative joint disease of the left knee remains rated at 20 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for throat cancer, right knee arthritis, and right ankle disability were denied. The claim for left wrist disorder was remanded.
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