The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative changes, right and left knee lateral instability, as well as TDIU due to inadequate examination findings and need for additional development.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations were inadequate in assessing the severity of the Veteran's disabilities, particularly regarding functional limitations during flare-ups. Additional medical records also indicated a worsening of her service-connected knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome, Degenerative changes, Lateral instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20071844
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,185 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20071844.
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 knee disability, including a meniscal tear and patellofemoral pain syndrome, was incurred during his active service. The Board found that the evidence supported this conclusion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been remanded due to the need for clarification of the extent and type of instability, as well as whether he requires prescription aids with ambulation.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral knee conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as there was no evidence of flexion or extension limitations warranting an increased rating.
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