The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy is denied. The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for left knee patellar tendonitis is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not maintain continuous pursuit of his original claim for the earlier effective date, and the September 2020 service treatment records were not relevant to the issue at hand.
- Claimed conditions
- Left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, Left knee patellar tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26004343
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 A26004343.
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 Veteran meets the schedular percentage requirements for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected DDD thoracolumbar spine and associated radiculopathies of the lower extremities have caused a loss of use of both lower extremities, necessitating regular and constant use of assistive devices such as canes. As a result, eligibility for specially adapted housing has been granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 6, 2022. Therefore, the claim for TDIU prior to that date is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy claims are remanded due to inadequate examination and consideration of medication effects.
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