The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to ensure that her lumbar spine, right hip, and right knee disabilities are evaluated in accordance with VA examination standards. The issues of rating her degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine, limitation of flexion of the right hip, and patella chondromalacia of the right knee remain pending.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current examinations did not comply with VA examination standards for evaluating musculoskeletal disabilities, particularly regarding passive range of motion measurements and pain on weight-bearing testing.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine, Right hip, status post labral tear repair and debridement surgery, Patella chondromalacia of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18156767
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 18156767.
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 Veteran's degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine is granted an initial rating of 40 percent prior to November 12, 2015. The right hip conditions are remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to December 28, 2009 and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent since then.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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