The Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease and left knee strain, is granted. The cervical spine disorder, thoracic spine disorder, headaches, and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and adjustment disorder) are remanded for further review.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the preponderance of evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's left knee disability first manifested in service and was incurred in service. However, the cervical spine disorder, thoracic spine disorder, headaches, and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and adjustment disorder) are remanded for further review due to insufficient rationale provided by VA examiners.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"left knee strain","diagnosis_date":null,"discharge_date":null}, {"condition_name":"degenerative joint disease of the left knee","diagnosis_date":null,"discharge_date":null}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19176007
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myasthenia gravis based on the Veteran's exposure to hazardous substances during his military service.
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