The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as noncompensable prior to August 29, 2016, and has been increased to 20 percent thereafter. The Board finds the November 2020 VA examination inadequate due to lack of passive range of motion measurements upon weight bearing and non-weight bearing testing.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee disability is rated under Diagnostic Code 5257, which requires an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran’s passive range of motion measurements as per revised criteria effective February 7, 2021.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee chondromalacia patella, left femur fracture with residual shortening
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21024918
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 21024918.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on statutory housebound status due to her service-connected conditions and additional nonservice-connected disabilities, finding that she did not meet the criteria for SMC.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as her eligibility for VA health care benefits and enrollment in a Priority Group higher than Priority Group 8 has already been granted due to the combined disability rating of 50 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia patella is rated at 10 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board found that the condition did not warrant a compensable rating under Diagnostic Codes 5260 and 5261, as his range of motion was within normal limits with some pain but no instability.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed it.
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