The Veteran's claims for effective dates and increased ratings for bilateral knee conditions are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in the January 2022 VA examination.
The deciding factor: A recent VA examination did not include stability testing, which is necessary to fully assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee osteoarthritis, patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), bursitis, bilateral knee instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24081966
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 A24081966.
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 Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is denied because the VA did not cause any additional disability, and there was no fault on their part in providing care.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted a readjudication of the claim for service connection for right knee disorder. The claims for right leg shortening are remanded due to their inextricability with the right knee disorder claim.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeal and hearing request for increased ratings of persistent depressive disorder, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), bilateral sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis.
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