The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to assess the current severity of her right and left knee disabilities, including range of motion testing. The examiner must discount the ameliorative effects of any medications she uses to treat her disability.
The deciding factor: The examination report contains inconsistencies and does not comply with the guidance in Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) regarding flare-ups and functional loss due to medication use.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Instability, Right Knee Disability (based on limitation of flexion), Left Knee Disability (based on limitation of flexion)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2026
- Citation
- 26000455
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 26000455.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board will consider all submitted evidence, including any new evidence provided by the Veteran.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 40 percent for limitation of extension, effective December 18, 2025. The Veteran also received separate ratings for instability and dislocation of semilunar cartilage.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee flexion limitation, and instability of the left knee are all rated at their maximum allowable under VA regulations. The right knee scar is not compensable. The Board has remanded for further examination to determine the severity of these conditions without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.
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