The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for patellar chondromalacia of both knees due to inadequate pre-decisional duty to assist and potential errors in the February 2022 VA examination.
The deciding factor: The February 2022 VA examination was found to be inadequate, particularly regarding range of motion testing and pain assessment. The Board also noted that medication use should not be considered when assigning disability ratings for musculoskeletal conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Patellar chondromalacia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2026
- Citation
- A26028348
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 A26028348.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent for painful limitation of motion, but not meeting the criteria for a higher rating as flexion and extension are within normal limits.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial claim for service connection was granted with an initial noncompensable rating. The RO later increased her rating to 10% effective October 13, 2010. However, the Board found that there is no evidence of limitation of motion or instability sufficient to warrant a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by osteoarthropathy and patellar chondromalacia, was found to not warrant a higher rating prior to January 19, 2007, or from that date forward. The current ratings are deemed appropriate based on the limited range of motion.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by mild degenerative joint disease and associated pain, does not warrant a higher initial rating than 10 percent.
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