The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings possible based on the current evidence. The Veteran’s rheumatic fever disability is currently not rated due to lack of associated joint impairment.,Rheumatic fever residuals need further evaluation by a VA examiner to determine if they warrant a compensable rating.
The deciding factor: The current evidence does not support higher ratings for the knee disabilities, as the Veteran's range of motion is within the limits that would justify a higher rating. The rheumatic fever disability remains unassessed due to lack of associated joint impairment.,Rheumatic fever residuals need further evaluation by a VA examiner to determine if they warrant a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee retropatellar pain syndrome, left knee retropatellar pain syndrome, rheumatic fever
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001273
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for right knee retropatellar pain syndrome from August 23, 2010, and denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a right ankle disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request to revise the July 2006 rating decision that continued a noncompensable evaluation for bilateral knee retropatellar pain syndrome, finding no clear and unmistakable error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee instability, and in excess of 10 percent for both left knee degenerative joint disease and right knee retropatellar pain syndrome due to outstanding medical records and the need for an additional VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee retropatellar pain syndrome, manifested by limitation of motion, prior to November 13, 2017.
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