The Board has remanded the case for a medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability after discounting the beneficial effects of medication. The effective date claim is denied as there was no prior communication or intent to file a claim within one year before August 31, 2022.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an earlier effective date for service connection is not warranted due to lack of evidence of any unadjudicated formal claim or informal claim received within one year prior to the initial receipt of the claim on August 31, 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26020082
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 A26020082.
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 service-connected conditions, including residual sprain of the left ankle, sleep apnea, left hip trochanteric pain syndrome with arthritis, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with arthritis, and erectile dysfunction, have been granted. A 10 percent rating has also been assigned for a right shoulder scar.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for left knee conditions was granted with an effective date of May 17, 2019. The claim for a cervical spine disability resulted in a 30% rating and effective date of November 10, 2021.,A TDIU was awarded on November 10, 2021, with an effective date of September 9, 2019. The issue of whether the TDIU should have been granted earlier is currently under review.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's neck condition. The effective date for service connection of left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with arthritis as secondary to right knee osteoarthritis is January 20, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee conditions, SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance, and SMC based on housebound status are being remanded.,Separate ratings for left and right knee instability prior to October 10, 2009 are also being remanded.
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