Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection of various ankle, hip, knee, and foot conditions due to insufficient rationale provided in the VA examiner's opinions. The issues are related to secondary service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for varicose veins of the legs, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, and back disorder. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating for compensation based on unemployability of the individual prior to January 6, 2016 due to lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The appeal for service connection for PTSD is dismissed. The appeals for sleep apnea, left knee condition, right knee condition, and right hip condition are remanded.

The Veteran's claims of a higher rating for his right knee disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records from Social Security Administration.

The Board denied an increased rating for left knee internal derangement and granted a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic residuals of cartilage removal, but the Veteran's claim for an increased rating remains denied.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right knee disorder, and a stomach disorder (GERD) as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus. The claims for the right knee disorder and stomach disorder are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions alone do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle or right heel disability. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding increased ratings for right knee strain, lumbar strain prior to March 11, 2016, and right hip strain.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, status post arthroscopic surgery. The decision is based on evidence showing that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and ankle disabilities due to incomplete medical opinions. The Veteran contends his current disabilities are related to parachute jumps during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee disability, specifically his service connection claim. The VA will attempt to obtain in-patient hospital records from Fort Lee, Virginia and copies of VA treatment records from November 2020 to present. A new VA medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's current left knee disability was incurred during military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and right hip disability based on limitation of motion, as well as his claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 5, 2014.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that it is not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of the bilateral knees and right ankle are being remanded due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous Board directives regarding the period prior to December 2018 in regard to the Veteran’s functional limitations during periods of flare-ups.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU, but his case is referred to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration as to whether he is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted a 20% rating, and his anxiety disorder from May 23, 2016 is granted a 50% rating. The Veteran's request for a higher rating for the anxiety disorder after that date is denied, as well as his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service connection claims for IBS, headaches, sinusitis, salmonella residuals, left knee pain, hernia, bilateral arm numbness, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), asthma, and liver cysts are all granted. The Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA service must be confirmed and identified.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee patellofemoral syndromes were evaluated at a 10 percent rating each, which was denied as the conditions did not warrant an increase to higher ratings.