The Board has remanded two issues: 1) entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and 2) entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected patellofemoral syndrome and arthritis of the left knee. The remand is due to inadequate March 2017 VA examination used by the Board.
The deciding factor: The Court found that the Board had erroneously relied on an inadequate March 2017 VA examination, which led to incorrect decisions regarding the Veteran's service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Patellofemoral syndrome and arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19174143
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 19174143.
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 claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.
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