The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA orthopedic examination to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities under the revised criteria effective February 7, 2021.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a new examination is needed due to the revision in the criteria for rating musculoskeletal system and muscle injuries disabilities, including changes to Diagnostic Codes 5257 (instability of the knee) and 5262 (impairment of the tibia and fibula).
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the left knee, Chondromalacia patellae of both knees, Plica syndrome of the left knee, Anterior tibial tendonitis of the right knee, Compartment syndrome of both knees, Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome) of both knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21013932
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21013932.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, but remanded the issue of a low back disability for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and clarification regarding the severity of the Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities, specifically to determine if the Veteran has experienced 'the functional equivalent of range of motion loss contemplated by the next higher rating' at any point during the appeal period.
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