The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional treatment records and VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to make a formal finding that further attempts to obtain certain VA treatment records would be futile, as required by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease L3-L4, Degenerative disc disease L4-L5, Left meniscus tear with Baker's cyst, Left total knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21069664
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 21069664.
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 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities, including instability, and a TDIU due to an inadequate examination.
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