Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that further clarification is required prior to a decision on the merits of the Veteran's claims due to internal inconsistencies in previous opinions and the need for additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for bilateral hearing loss and right knee disability were not conducted as per the prior remand instructions. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea, right foot disability (hammertoes with corns), and left foot disability (hammertoes with corns) has been granted. The appeal for increased evaluations in excess of 10 percent for his bilateral foot disabilities was withdrawn by the Veteran. Service connection for a right knee disability and a left knee disability is remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for various conditions related to the Veteran's knees and little finger, as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the claim for service connection for degenerative changes in the right knee. The Veteran's current claims are pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder has been remanded. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was granted an increased rating from 30% to 50% effective November 17, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected interstitial lung disease with COPD is being remanded to determine if it caused his pulmonary embolism, diabetes mellitus type 2, and osteoarthritis of the hips and knees.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability due to lack of active duty status at the time of injury, finding that the Veteran was not on active duty in December 1999 when he sustained his knee injury.

The Veteran's multilevel degenerative disc disease, femoral nerve radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, and sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are all rated at 40 percent for the period from June 10, 2007 to February 28, 2017. The Veteran's right knee degenerative changes status post arthroscopy with chondroplasty and synovectomy is rated at 20 percent, while his left knee degenerative changes are rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's respiratory disorder and left knee disability, as well as to review the conflicting evidence of record. The Veteran's service records show exposure to ionizing radiation but not specific hazardous gasses like Freon or secondhand smoke.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, gastroesophageal disorder (GERD), gastrointestinal disorder (IBS), right knee disability, and left knee disability due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine if service connection is warranted for a left knee disability, including as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher evaluation and separate rating for his left knee disabilities due to incomplete discussion of severe painful motion, need for additional development under new criteria, and consideration of instability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck, left knee, right knee, and left foot nerve disabilities due to service. The VA will obtain any outstanding records and provide addendum opinions regarding the relationship of these conditions to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU prior to February 29, 2012, finding that he was not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities before this date.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for right ankle disability is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability are remanded due to the need for additional evidence or examination. The claim for migraine headache is denied as there was no established link between current headaches and service.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for a left knee/left tibia disability is granted. The VA has remanded the cases of increased rating for right shoulder arthritis, rating for left shoulder surgical scars, and service connection for right hip osteoarthritis and trochanteric pain syndrome.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability and denied an increased rating for right knee limitation of motion. The Veteran's condition is rated as 10 percent disabling overall.

The Board has determined that there is at least a 50% probability that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are secondary to his service-connected gouty arthritis of the left ankle, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.