The Board has denied an increased rating for right knee chondromalacia and has remanded the issues of service connection for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, breast cancer, and SMC for anatomical loss of breast tissue.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current 10 percent rating for her right knee disability is based on painful motion. The Board found that there was no additional functional loss due to pain or other factors warranting a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee chondromalacia, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, breast cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19189788
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (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 19189788.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and compensable ratings for left knee tendonitis and right knee chondromalacia have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in January 2025.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was dismissed. The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis with complications, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, vitamin deficiencies, memory/cognitive impairment, unexplained arthralgias, fatigue, hair loss, and bradycardia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for breast cancer, as secondary to her fibrocystic breast disease. The decision is based on a duty to assist error and requires a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's breast cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and has remanded the claims for hypertension, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to duty to assist errors.
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