The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not comply with the requirements in Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017), and there is a need for new examinations and addendum opinions regarding the Veteran's ankle condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthrosis of the right knee, Left total knee replacement, Degenerative joint disease of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21064565
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 21064565.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle but granted a separate rating for instability.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the service-connected left total knee replacement, right knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee instability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a maximum rating of 60 percent for the Veteran's left total knee replacement from January 1, 2019, and a 70 percent rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder starting from January 17, 2018.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's left shoulder and knee conditions, but granted a 60 percent rating for his right total knee replacement. The Board also denied entitlement to TDIU.
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