The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's knee and foot disabilities, including right hip strain. The claims for increased ratings are being returned due to inconsistencies in the July 2015 examination report. Additional examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee and right foot conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2015 VA examination was internally inconsistent, particularly regarding the Veteran’s right knee instability. The examiner indicated recurrent patellar dislocation but marked the severity as 'none'.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee scars, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, instability of the right knee, status post repair recurrent patellar tendon rupture of the left knee, instability of the left knee, hallux rigidus status post repair, degenerative joint disease, and history of plantar fascial tear of the right foot, right hip strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18159903
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 18159903.
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 remanded several claims for further action, including effective date determinations and service connection determinations. The Veteran's service records from Portsmouth Naval Hospital are requested to be obtained.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his right hip disability is denied as the earliest date of entitlement is April 21, 2025.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right hip disability is likely related to his service, granting him service connection for a right hip disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tension headaches, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, right hip strain, and left hip strain due to inadequate opinions regarding whether these conditions are aggravated by service-connected disabilities.
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