The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disability and determine the nature and etiology of any low back disability. The issues on appeal include entitlement to higher ratings for his right knee disabilities and service connection for a low back disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's testimony indicates worsening symptoms, and post-service VA treatment records indicate that his knee 'catches' several times per week. Additionally, the Veteran reported an in-service lumbar spine injury during service, which is supported by service treatment records documenting lower back pain complaints. The Board finds it necessary to obtain additional medical evidence to determine the current severity of these conditions and their etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- instability of the right knee, degenerative changes of the right knee, low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 14, 2018
- Citation
- 1809744
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 1809744.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability was granted with an effective date of January 9, 2018. The Board accepted her November 21, 2019 VA Form 20-0996 as a valid opt-in of the April 2019 SOC into the modernized review system.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal concerning diabetes and a low back disability has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
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