The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his back and knee disabilities, as the most recent VA examinations did not adequately assess the severity of these conditions due to a lack of consideration of flare-ups. The case is therefore being remanded for further examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the most recent VA examinations were inadequate because they did not account for the Veteran's reported flare-ups, which are significant functional impairments affecting his back and knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- sclerosis of the sacroiliac joint, low back strain, left knee strain, left knee anterior instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26011848
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 A26011848.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including the one for an increased rating for low back strain.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to untimely filing of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, shin splints of the right leg, and shin splints of the left leg are being remanded due to a failure to obtain VA examinations and medical nexus opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
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