The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his bilateral knee disabilities and PTSD, as well as the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to August 2, 2017 are being remanded due to new evidence added to the record by VA.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been added to the record that is relevant to the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU. The Board finds these matters inextricably intertwined and must be remanded.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee total arthroplasty, right knee total arthroplasty, left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19154187
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 19154187.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability, including without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease, including secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, is granted. The condition was not related to military service and no aggravation by the service-connected left knee disability could be established.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee total arthroplasty resulted in intermediate degrees of residual weakness, pain, or limitation. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted as there was no evidence of severe painful motion or weakness.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted for the claim of entitlement to TDIU, which is being remanded. The issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is also being remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.
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