The Board has determined that the VA examinations of record are inadequate and do not comply with prior remand directives. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for low back strain, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left knee degenerative joint disease are being remanded to obtain new examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not include range of motion testing as required by the Board's previous remands and failed to account for functional loss due to flare-ups or repetitive use.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain, Degenerative joint disease of the right knee, Degenerative joint disease of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20044962
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 20044962.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's right and left knee braces caused wear and tear to his clothing in the year of 2021, leading to a decision granting annual clothing allowances for both knee braces.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for low back strain, left shoulder, and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) based on evidence showing a causal relationship to in-service events or injuries.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Knee as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, but has remanded the claim for Lumbar Spine Disability.
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