The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome is now rated at 30 percent, effective throughout the appeal period. The rating for left knee locking, pain and effusion prior to July 15, 2004, remains remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the presence of locking episodes during that time frame. The Veteran's TDIU claim prior to September 24, 2014, is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner was not able to provide a retrospective medical opinion regarding left knee locking episodes prior to July 15, 2004 without resorting to speculation due to the lack of available records and testing during that time period.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee locking, pain and effusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 2, 2022
- Citation
- 22061623
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 22061623.
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected back and sciatica disabilities. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address the severity and functional impact of his knee and ankle disabilities.
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