The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent disabling for limitation of flexion and instability. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disability, including whether it meets the criteria for a higher rating under DC 5257.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right knee instability does not meet the criteria for a 20 percent rating as per Diagnostic Code (DC) 5257 due to lack of evidence of persistent instability requiring a prescription from a medical provider for an assistive device or bracing for ambulation.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Strain, Knee Joint Osteoarthritis (Right Knee Instability), Right Knee Flexion Limitation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26009690
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 A26009690.
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's right and left knee strains, as well as shin splints, were granted increased ratings. The Veteran also received special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from October 25, 2017 to March 11, 2024.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's right knee disability rating from 10% to 30%, effective July 1, 2025, finding that the reduction was improper and constituted a de facto severance of service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle, bilateral knee, and left hip disability. The Veteran's initial 10 percent rating for left thigh strain with limitation of flexion is granted.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased disability evaluations and denied service connection for a bilateral shoulder condition. The Veteran was granted service connection for persistent depressive disorder.
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