An effective date of November 21, 2016, but not earlier, for the award of a 20 percent rating for right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted.,A compensable rating for a surgical scar on the right knee is denied. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a right lower extremity neurological disorder is remanded.
The deciding factor: The effective date should be November 21, 2016, the date VA received the claim.,There is no evidence of flexion limited to 15 degrees, extension limited to 10 degrees, or evidence of instability such that a higher or separate rating would be warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Strain with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Right Lower Extremity Neurological Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19171524
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 19171524.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for various knee, ankle, foot, and neurological disorders as well as a psychiatric disorder and high blood pressure. The evidence does not show current disabilities of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial rating determinations were denied. The claim for an increased rating for right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to May 4, 2015, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for major depressive disorder (residuals of traumatic brain injury) was also denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating than 30 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial and subsequent ratings for right and left knee disabilities prior to and since January 29, 2019 were denied as the medical evidence did not support a higher rating under either pre-amended or amended VA criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his pure tone thresholds did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities were remanded due to insufficient examination findings regarding flare-ups.
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