The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow, knee, and ankle disabilities due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to determine if her current conditions are related to her military service.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examination was not adequate for rating purposes as it did not provide a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right elbow, knee, and ankle disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right elbow disability (medial epicondylitis), right knee disability (degenerative joint disease), right ankle disability (degenerative joint disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20022289
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 20022289.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypothyroidism and a right elbow disability as they are not related to the Veteran's service or any of her service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various spinal and knee disabilities, as well as sleep apnea. Additional medical records are needed to support or refute his claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability, but has remanded the issue of secondary service connection for a right hip disability due to lack of medical documentation during active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, adjustment disorder with depression), right knee disability, and left knee disability. The evidence did not support the presence of current disabilities or establish a link between any diagnosed conditions and service.,The Board found that there was no in-service injury or disease related to the Veteran's lumbar spine or psychiatric disorders, and the diagnoses were not linked to service. For his right and left knee disabilities, the Board noted the absence of evidence showing onset during service.
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