The Veteran's low back disability is granted a 40 percent rating, but no higher. The right and left knee disabilities are remanded for additional development.
The deciding factor: The VA examination provided sufficient details to adequately decide the increased rating appeal for the low back disability, while the right and left knee issues require further evidence from private treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar myofascial strain (low back disability), right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20055190
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 20055190.
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected back and sciatica disabilities. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome and degenerative arthritis are at least as likely as not related to his service-connected left knee bursitis, granting service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.
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