The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a right knee disability is granted. Service connection for tinnitus is also granted. The Board finds that the claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome, scoliosis, and right sciatic radulopathy are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and right foot bunions are also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is not enough evidence to determine the etiology of the Veteran's back conditions, as his entrance and separation examinations are missing from the record.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis, Tinnitus, Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine, Intervertebral Disc Syndrome, Scoliosis, and Right Sciatic Radiculopathy, Right Foot Bunions
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21067615
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 21067615.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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