The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for left knee degenerative arthritis prior to September 16, 2020, and reopening of claim for total left knee replacement.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnoses are supported by medical evidence. The Board found that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the low back disability is related to service on a direct basis or secondary to his service-connected left knee disability, granting service connection for this condition. For the left knee degenerative arthritis, the Board remanded due to conflicting opinions from VA examiners regarding its relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, left knee degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 15, 2021
- Citation
- 21022422
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 21022422.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis is dismissed. The claims for service connection for psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions are granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and shin splints due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination. The case is now pending with a request for a new opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
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