The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate examination findings and the need for further evidence, including a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The October 2019 VA examination is deemed insufficient as it does not provide the requisite range of motion measurements and explanations. Further evidence is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's disabilities and comply with Correia v. McDonald (2016).
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Degenerative Arthritis, Right Knee Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Left Knee Degenerative Arthritis, Left Knee Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21012576
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 21012576.
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 service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for a right knee condition are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ must attempt to verify the claimed stressor events and provide a VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, tendinitis, and strain, status post arthroscopy with meniscal tear and degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion), and awarded an initial compensable rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, tendinitis, and strain, status post arthroscopy with meniscal tear and degenerative arthritis (limitation of extension).
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected low back and right knee disabilities, finding that these conditions caused his obesity, which in turn led to his current condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's disability ratings for right and left knee degenerative arthritis from 10 percent to 10 percent effective January 8, 2025.
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