The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date due to a lack of retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his bilateral knee conditions prior to November 20, 2019.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions reached a severity warranting a 40 percent disability evaluation prior to November 20, 2019.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee chondromalacia with crepitus, right knee chondromalacia with crepitus, bilateral knee osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26016150
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 A26016150.
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 her appeal and hearing request for increased ratings of persistent depressive disorder, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), bilateral sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, bilateral elbow nerve damage, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome must be remanded due to a failure to provide a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service-connected disabilities or other factors. The VA must obtain additional medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis and pain are found to have manifested during active service, meeting the criteria for service connection.
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