The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for right knee replacement, left knee scar, and right knee scar due to insufficient evidence from the last VA examination conducted more than six years ago.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to evaluate the Veteran's disabilities for the entire appeal period and thus requires an updated VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Right knee replacement, Left knee scar, Right knee scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21029967
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 21029967.
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 Board has granted service connection for a right knee scar secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability status post knee replacement. However, the rating for PTSD remains at 30 percent and needs to be re-adjudicated due to a failure to obtain private mental health treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of November 1, 2021, for a 30 percent evaluation for his right knee replacement. The decision found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date as it would decrease the Veteran's properly assigned 100 percent evaluation and because he was already separately compensated for service-connected right knee osteoarthritis.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected right knee scar is rated at a 10 percent rating since February 9, 2017. The Board granted this rating based on the Veteran's reports of pain and sensitivity in his right knee scar.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee disability, including his scars and total knee arthroplasty, is rated at a maximum of 60 percent effective September 1, 2023.
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