The Board has ordered a remand for the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disability, which is secondary to his right knee disability. The VA examiner found that there was no clear evidence from medical literature suggesting an injury to one joint would have any significant impact on another or opposite uninjured joint. A new VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran's gait abnormalities caused by his service-connected right knee condition may have aggravated his left knee.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that there was no clear evidence from medical literature suggesting an injury to one joint would have any significant impact on another or opposite uninjured joint, including aggravation of a left knee disability due to a right knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21066931
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 21066931.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the July 2012 VA examination for the Veteran's left knee disability, and a new addendum opinion is needed.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as these issues have been addressed in a separate docket.
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