The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination and the need for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's lumbar strain is related to his service-connected right and left knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the lack of explanation regarding the etiological connection between the Veteran’s lumbar strain and his military service, as well as the need for further medical evaluation to clarify the relationship between the Veteran's lumbar strain and his service-connected knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain (claimed as low back pain), right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18155711
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 18155711.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee instability, and separate 40 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension prior to July 27, 2019.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain and denied or remanded the other issues on appeal.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all pending appeals on April 28, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for additional development, specifically to obtain retrospective opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome during flareups.
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