The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his left knee disability is being remanded to obtain clarification on the specific diagnostic codes and functional impairments related to his condition.
The deciding factor: The Board requires a clarifying addendum opinion to determine the functional impairments related to the Veteran’s left knee, as the October 2019 rating decision did not specify whether the symptoms of Diagnostic Code 5259 are duplicative or separate from those encompassed under Diagnostic Codes 5257 and/or 5260.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee medial meniscus tear, left knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20037879
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 20037879.
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 Veteran's claims for a higher rating for left knee ACL tear and TDIU are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee medial meniscus tear and left knee Baker's cyst, finding that both conditions are related to her active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee condition, including his left knee medial meniscus tear and degenerative arthritis. The issue is being returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to his current condition.
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