The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's arthritis that led to his total knee arthroplasty, specifically whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left foot and ankle conditions.
The deciding factor: The examiner must provide an opinion as to whether the Veteran's arthritis that required a total knee arthroplasty was either caused or aggravated by his service-connected left foot and ankle conditions before the knee replacement.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Arthritis, Left Foot and Ankle Conditions
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1707628
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 1707628.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, and it is not etiologically related to a service-connected condition. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's left total knee replacement with left knee arthritis and scar, status post left knee arthroscopy, are granted a disability rating of 60 percent effective February 28, 2025.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including persistent postural perceptual dizziness related to his right eye disorder, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation despite his MBA degree and employment history. The Board granted the TDIU claim effective September 6, 2019.
- Granted
The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's left knee arthritis, effective from when the appeal was filed.
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