Knee decisions — 2021

The Veteran's left knee flexion is not limited to 30 degrees or less, so the claim for a higher disability rating for left knee strain is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for a clothing allowance due to the use of left knee and back braces in 2018. The AOJ needs to reconstruct the record and upload all documentation related to these appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, but has remanded his right and left knee disability claims due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his left ankle disability does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.,His sleep apnea, PTSD-related, and bilateral hip/knee disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to March 8, 2019 for service connection for degenerative arthritis of both knees as secondary to his service-connected hemophilia B with iron deficiency anemia.

The Veteran's initial claim for a disability rating of 10 percent for traumatic injury to lower mandibular dentition, residual of hit to the jaw is granted. The issues of service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease and sleep apnea are remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted, but his claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to inadequate development.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for further development due to inadequacy of a previous VA examination and need for additional medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of March 3, 2015.

The Veteran's sciatica of the left leg is rated at 20 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), a left ankle disability, and a right leg disability (including right knee and right hip) are remanded due to incomplete information in the Veteran's service records.,The Veteran's left ankle disability and right leg disability (including right knee and right hip) remain unresolved as there is insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

Service connection for Major Depressive Disorder is granted.,A rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected residuals of right knee medial meniscal tear (right knee disability), based on limitation of flexion, is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities and stress fracture of the left tibia were found to not warrant a higher rating, with the exception of the remanded issues.,The Veteran's service-connected conditions include degenerative joint diseases in both knees and a stress fracture of her left tibia. The appeals period was marked by multiple examinations that did not find any additional symptoms or functional loss beyond what is already contemplated under current diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left knee disability. The issue of service connection for a left knee disability is being referred back for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to address the severity of his service-connected disabilities, as well as their relationship to service. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, OSA, degenerative arthritis of the knees, lumbosacral spine, and cervical spine.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by frequent episodes of locking and effusion with a separate 10 percent rating for limitation of extension, is granted. The current effective date is not specified.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and remanded the claims of service connection for thoracic spine disability and left knee disability due to secondary service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right and left knee disabilities, as well as service connection for a left thumb disability, have been denied. The claim for TDIU has also been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition, finding that there was no in-service incurrence of the current bilateral knee degenerative arthritis and that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus, patellofemoral syndrome with subluxation of the right knee, and patellofemoral syndrome with limited motion of the right knee due to inadequate medical opinions in the July 2021 VA examination.