The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to evaluate the severity of his knee conditions and determine if they are secondary to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to evaluate the severity of his right knee condition and determine if it is secondary to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty, is being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to determine if the condition is related to his service or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty, is being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to determine if the condition is related to his service or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical radiculopathy of the right arm, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty, is being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to determine if the condition is related to his service or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being deferred pending resolution of the above-mentioned claims.
The deciding factor: New VA medical examinations are necessary for both knee conditions due to lack of testing for pain on active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and non-weightbearing. The cervical spine condition and cervical radiculopathy may be related to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty or other service-connected disabilities.,New VA medical examinations are necessary for the right knee condition due to lack of testing for pain on active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and non-weightbearing. The low back disability and cervical radiculopathy may be related to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty or other service-connected disabilities.,New VA medical examinations are necessary to determine if the low back disability began in service or was caused by active duty service, as well as whether it is secondary to a service-connected disability. The cervical spine condition and cervical radiculopathy may be related to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty or other service-connected disabilities.,New VA medical examinations are necessary to determine if the cervical spine condition began in service or was caused by active duty service, as well as whether it is secondary to a service-connected disability. The low back disability and cervical radiculopathy may be related to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty or other service-connected disabilities.,New VA medical examinations are necessary to determine if the cervical radiculopathy began in service or was caused by active duty service, as well as whether it is secondary to a service-connected disability. The low back disability and cervical spine condition may be related to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty or other service-connected disabilities.,The TDIU claim is deferred pending resolution of the above-mentioned claims.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of total left knee arthroplasty, right knee degenerative joint disease, low back disability, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, cervical radiculopathy of the right arm
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1707608
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 1707608.
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 depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease, including secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, is granted. The condition was not related to military service and no aggravation by the service-connected left knee disability could be established.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of right shoulder disability and low back disability due to insufficient evidence.
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