The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for left knee DJD. However, the issue of whether the Veteran's left knee DJD is aggravated by his service-connected right knee DJD or lumbar spine arthritis remains pending.
The deciding factor: The January 2017 VA examiner's opinion regarding aggravation was conflicting and requires clarification to determine if the Veteran's left knee DJD is aggravated by his service-connected right knee DJD or lumbar spine arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee degenerative joint disease (DJD), right knee DJD, lumbar spine arthritis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19104702
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,272 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19104702.
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 has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for lumbar spine arthritis and right lower extremity sciatica have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified issues for remand related to service connection claims and effective date determinations. The appellant's appeal includes multiple conditions, including a headache disability, left ankle and foot disabilities, low back disability, knee degenerative joint disease (DJD), neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.,The Board is directed to address the issues of service connection for these conditions and determine appropriate effective dates.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted. Additionally, the Veteran's sleep apnea has also been granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
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