The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and left knee meniscal tear, status post lateral meniscectomy (limited flexion) due to inadequate examination reports. The VA is required to obtain a new examination report that addresses the severity of the Veteran's conditions during the entire rating period on appeal.
The deciding factor: The Board found the existing examination reports insufficient and remanded for additional evaluations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine and left knee disabilities, including any functional loss due to medication use.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Left knee meniscal tear, status post lateral meniscectomy (limited flexion)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26016586
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 A26016586.
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 claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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