The Board has remanded two cases: one for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative change of the left knee and another for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for rheumatoid arthritis of the left hip. The reasons are that the most recent VA examinations did not fully address reports of flare-ups and their resulting additional functional impairment.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations failed to provide adequate descriptions of the Veteran's symptoms, including flare-ups and their impact on her joint function.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative change of the left knee, rheumatoid arthritis of the left hip
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19196161
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (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 19196161.
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 Board remands the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of various body parts due to in-service exposure to hazardous materials, as an addendum opinion is needed.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar disc disease, left hip injury and arthritis, and right hip injury and arthritis. The decision is based on new evidence received after the April 2020 rating decision that supports a finding of in-service causation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's left knee and hip disabilities due to inadequate evaluations in previous examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period from June 22, 2015 to August 9, 2020 due to his service-connected disabilities. For the earlier period, he did not meet the criteria.
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