The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine and knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease (DDD), left knee strain, and right knee strain are all at issue.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the April 2017 VA examinations were inadequate for assessing the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine and knee disabilities. The examination reports did not include specific information about pain on motion or repetitive use testing.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss, Lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease (DDD), Left knee strain, Right knee strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22071820
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 22071820.
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 right knee disability, finding that there was no nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
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