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Board of Veterans' Appeals · Legacy series

Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee chondromalacia with degenerative joint disease is remanded.

January 30, 2026Citation Nr. 26001414Docket 16-29 776va.gov source

  • Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee chondromalacia with degenerative joint diseaseRemanded
  • Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee chondromalacia with degenerative joint diseaseRemanded
  • Entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities (TDIU)Remanded
  • Entitlement to service connection for a right hip disorderRemanded
  • Entitlement to service connection for right leg length discrepancyRemanded
DecisionAnalysis

Board reasoning

The Board remands for addendum and retrospective opinions to clarify the severity and etiology of the knee conditions and related disorders. Prior examinations lacked complete range of motion data and failed to address flare-ups, repeated use, and alternative etiologies. Avid consideration of direct service connection and aggravation theories is needed for the right hip and leg length discrepancy, with retrospective ROEs and etiological opinions tailored to the Veteran's service history and later complaints.

Issues

  • Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee chondromalacia with degenerative joint diseaseRemanded
  • Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee chondromalacia with degenerative joint diseaseRemanded
  • Entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities (TDIU)Remanded
  • Entitlement to service connection for a right hip disorderRemanded
  • Entitlement to service connection for right leg length discrepancyRemanded

Authorities

  • Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268the Board cites Stegall regarding remand to obtain adequate medical opinions and to avoid piecemeal adjudication
  • Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158the Board notes the need for range of motion testing in examinations (active, passive, weight-bearing, nonweight-bearing)

Extracted with gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07. Citations are kept only when they appear in the decision text.