Knee decisions — 2021

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disability, lumbar spine disability, osteoarthritis of bilateral hand, carpal tunnel syndrome of bilateral wrist, and gastroesophageal reflux disease as these conditions were not shown to be related to active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right knee condition due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is seeking an opinion on whether his current conditions are related to his military service, including noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected degenerative arthritis of the right knee was denied. A separate 10 percent evaluation, but no higher, for instability of the right knee since May 5, 2020 is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for left knee disability and a temporary total rating based upon the need for convalescence following surgery for left knee disability due to the need for an adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's claimed left knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination for the Veteran's knee disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider the Veteran's statements of right knee pain and symptoms since service.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that the Veteran did not have evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current condition is less likely related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and sustaining employment, as his combined disability rating was only 60 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee disorders due to a lack of current diagnoses or functional impairment, finding that there is no evidence supporting these conditions.

Your appeal for an increased rating for your left knee disability has been dismissed as the Veteran and his attorney have withdrawn their request.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee osteoarthritis, retro-patellofemoral pain syndrome, strain, degenerative joint disease, and chondromalacia patellae as these conditions are found to be etiologically related to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to new rating criteria for musculoskeletal disabilities, and a supplemental statement of the case must be issued considering these changes.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that his current knee conditions are related to in-service repetitive low crawl exercises and subsequent wear and tear over a long period of time.

The Board has remanded the claims due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives and legal inadequacies in the VA examiners' opinions. The claims are now pending for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to her death. The claims for service connection and a higher rating are moot.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted to the extent that new and material evidence has been received. The appeals for left hip, right hip, left ankle, back, and left knee conditions remain pending.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for chronic lumbosacral strain and left knee chondromalacia patella has been remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, back disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The conditions are deemed to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and to obtain relevant medical records. The issues include seeking higher ratings for service-connected disabilities, determining the nature of a claimed traumatic brain injury, and evaluating the impact on TDIU.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of 10 percent and 20 percent for right knee and shoulder disabilities, respectively. As a result, the claims are dismissed.