The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for chondromalacia patella, patellofemoral pain syndrome right is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in the evaluation of his service-connected knee disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the April 2021 VA examination report did not include sufficient range of motion (ROM) findings to adequately evaluate the Veteran's right knee disability, as it did not address the ameliorative effects of medication(s).
- Claimed conditions
- chondromalacia patella, patellofemoral pain syndrome right
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2026
- Citation
- A26032435
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 A26032435.
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 Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, meniscal tear, and chondromalacia patella, finding that the Veteran's claim was not entitled to such a retroactive effective date due to lack of new and material evidence submitted within one year of the February 2015 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis with chondromalacia patella with meniscal tear and right knee instability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions began in service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia patella and left knee instability is denied, but he is granted service connection for coronary atherosclerosis due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right knee strain is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his condition, as previous examinations did not adequately address functional loss due to weakness, fatigability, incoordination, or painful motion.
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