The Board remands the matters of entitlement to increased ratings for left knee conditions due to a need for an opinion that addresses the ameliorative effects of the Veteran's medications on her left knee disability throughout the appeal period.
The deciding factor: A remand is required to obtain an opinion addressing the baseline severity of the Veteran's left knee disability without considering the beneficial effects of medication, as per recent judicial decisions.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee degenerative joint disease, left knee limitation of extension, left knee lateral instability, left knee patellar instability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 16, 2025
- Citation
- 25008041
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, but granted a separate rating for left upper extremity radiculopathy from October 20, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for adjustment disorder, bilateral pes planus, right knee limitation of extension, and left knee limitation of extension. The Board also granted service connection for a back condition as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an initial disability rating for left knee limitation of flexion and extension, as well as entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), due to additional development necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left and right knee locking, but remanded evaluations greater than 10 percent for bilateral knee limitation of flexion, limitation of extension, and scars.
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