The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to address specific issues related to the Veteran's left knee.
The deciding factor: The examination did not adequately assess whether the Veteran is able to walk without assistance, suffers instability of the left knee, or requires aid for ambulation.
- Claimed conditions
- Lateral instability of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2026
- Citation
- 26001805
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 26001805.
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 claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied, and his left knee disability received increased ratings of 20% each.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed to assess the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected lateral instability of the left knee, including range of motion measurements for active motion, passive motion, weight-bearing, and nonweight-bearing. The case will be remanded for these purposes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected lateral instability of the left knee due to incomplete testing in previous examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective from April 7, 2017. The right and left knee disabilities are each rated at 20 percent effective from January 23, 2012 to August 3, 2016.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.