The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims can be adjudicated. The Veteran’s VA treatment records need to be updated, and he should be provided an opportunity for a VA examination to assess his current disability levels.
The deciding factor: Further medical development is required as the Veteran's VA treatment records have not been updated since November 2016, and he has asserted that his disabilities have increased in severity since the last examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, Degenerative arthritis of the right knee, Degenerative arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21003169
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 21003169.
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 claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied, as well as the claim for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, specifically regarding a VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee is related to service-connected chondromalacia and proximal patellar tendinosis of the left knee. The Board also needs another VA medical opinion addressing chronic presumptions and direct service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, left knee, and right knee due to inadequate VA examinations in August 2020 and January 2021.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee, and left knee as secondary to the right knee.
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