The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee osteoarthritis, as well as his right and left hip osteoarthritis (secondary to knee conditions), are related to service. However, due to a duty-to-assist error, the claims must be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's knee and hip disorders were not related to service based on the VA examination and medical opinions provided in April 2022. The examiner did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms prior to seeking treatment, which may indicate onset of the conditions during or shortly after service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Osteoarthritis, Left Knee Osteoarthritis, Right Hip Osteoarthritis, Left Hip Osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2022
- Citation
- A22023518
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 A22023518.
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 right and left knee disabilities, finding that the current conditions are not related to service due to lack of evidence of a chronic condition during service or post-service continuity.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his awards of ratings for right and left knee osteoarthritis based on limitation of extension. The evidence did not show a compensable limitation of extension prior to February 6, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right knee disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and consideration of medication effects.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, left knee osteoarthritis, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective February 23, 2024.
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