The Board remands the claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee, right hip condition, and left hip condition as additional development is needed to address whether the Veteran's service-connected right knee osteoarthritis aggravated his left knee and both hip conditions.
The deciding factor: The September 2023 VA opinion writer did not properly address the Veteran's lay statements regarding weight shifting between knees and the October 2023 VA examination did not adequately address pain or functional impact, necessitating a remand for new opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis, left knee, Right hip condition, Left hip condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25030902
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 Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include alcohol use disorder, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, and PTSD was granted. Other claims for various conditions were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left ankle condition, sleep apnea, lower back condition, and right hip condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, bilateral hallux valgus, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and right ankle calcaneal spur.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for other specified depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, alcohol use disorder, left hip condition, left knee condition, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right hip condition, right knee condition, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, shin splints, left leg, shin splints, right leg, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected left knee and right shoulder disabilities, along with compensation benefits awarded under 38 USC § 1151 for a right bicep detachment during shoulder surgery, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment from December 22, 2011 to December 11, 2016.
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