The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a new VA examination to assess the severity and frequency of flare-ups. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the increased rating claim.
The deciding factor: The decision was not explicitly about service connection but rather about increasing the rating for an existing condition and determining whether the Veteran qualifies for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee total replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2023
- Citation
- 23016029
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 23016029.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right and left knee disorders was granted with an effective date of August 7, 2015.
- Partly granted
The Board granted separate ratings for a left knee meniscal tear and left knee instability, as well as a rating for left knee total replacement, but denied an increased rating for left knee osteoarthritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder is being remanded due to the need for an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of his current left knee disorders.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to June 1, 2009 was denied as the percentage requirements for schedular entitlement were not met before that date. The effective date of TDIU is set at June 1, 2009.
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