Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate retrospective opinions and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining a new examination to assess his knee disabilities following recent surgeries and addressing deficiencies in prior retrospective assessments of instability.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee and left shoulder disorders, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are at least as likely as not related to her military service.,Service connection was also remanded for a right hip disorder due to conflicting medical opinions regarding its existence.

The Veteran's left knee strain is granted service connection, while his pseudofolliculitis barbae does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting a VA examination. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate reasons and bases for denying service connection for a left knee disability. The Veteran's current left knee condition may be related to her in-service period, but the right knee and back disabilities might have caused or aggravated it.

The Veteran's appeal for higher disability ratings for his right and left knee disabilities has been denied. The VA determined that the current assigned ratings are appropriate based on the findings of limited motion in both knees.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate VA opinions and failure to substantially comply with prior remand instructions.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating for his service-connected left knee patellofemoral syndrome, including for limitation of flexion and extension.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee and lower extremity disabilities did not prevent her from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period from November 3, 2016 to October 16, 2018.

The Veteran's back brace, used for his service-connected degenerative arthritis with IVDS and right knee disability, is granted a clothing allowance for 2015. However, the right knee brace is not granted a clothing allowance as there is no evidence of wear and tear on clothing.

The claims for left ear SNHL, low back condition, and right knee condition have been reopened. The Veteran now has service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for status post right knee replacement, a compensable rating for residuals of a fracture of the right tibia, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for dyshidrotic eczema due to inadequate medical opinions regarding causation and aggravation.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions and a need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with osteoarthritis is granted as service connected. The initial disability ratings for lumbosacral strain and left hip status post joint replacement are remanded.

Service connection for a rash and left knee condition has been granted.,Effective dates have not been established for the service connection claims for bilateral femoral nerve radiculopathy.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, allergic rhinitis, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, left and right knee disabilities, and erectile dysfunction. Additional development is needed as VA examinations are required.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the March 2019 rating decision. The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are being reviewed.

Service connection for a right ankle disability is granted.,The issues of entitlement to service connection for headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities are remanded due to a duty to assist error in the prior examination. A new VA examination is needed to assess the nature and severity of his service-connected knee disabilities, including whether he experiences flare-ups.