The Board has remanded the cases of left knee disability and arthritis, degenerative lower back condition for further development. The Veteran's left knee disabilities are to be evaluated by a VA medical opinion that addresses their likely cause or relation to service-connected right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided were inadequate due to lack of consideration of the Veteran’s lay statements regarding in-service pain and the impact of his right knee surgery on his left knee.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee joint osteoarthritis, degenerative lower back condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20007311
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 to left knee joint osteoarthritis as secondary to lumbosacral strain and spinal stenosis, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for the service connection of left knee subluxation and left knee joint osteoarthritis was dismissed due to untimely filing.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded certain issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral knee, hip, and foot disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions.
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