Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection due to deficiencies in prior VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities due to inadequate examination findings. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy and right knee disability have been rated, but the Veteran is seeking higher ratings for these conditions.,An effective date of August 22, 2003, has been granted for service connection of the right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there are no findings of incapacitating exacerbations or limitation of motion beyond what is already reflected in the current 10 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis and instability are granted, while his left knee strain is denied. A separate 20% rating for frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion in the right knee is also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip disorder, LUE CTS, RUE CTS, and denied service connection for left knee disorders. The case is REMANDED for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence and need further development.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition and a right shoulder condition, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,The Board also remanded the issues of increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee osteoarthritis and left eye disability due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The claims are being returned for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling an examination to assess the current severity of the left knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for heart disability, eye disability, leg disability, hepatitis C, and ulcers as they are not related to service.,Hypertension was identified prior to the Veteran's period of service and is presumed to have preexisted service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including instability and degenerative joint disease with meniscus issues, has been granted effective from August 6, 2008. A separate rating of 20 percent for a medial and lateral meniscus disorder is also granted since December 31, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip conditions due to insufficient rationale provided in previous VA examinations. The claim for erectile dysfunction is also being remanded as it is intertwined with the knee condition claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability rating, service connection for a right knee disability, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has found that the claims for service connection for right knee injury and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease need further development due to inadequate medical opinions. The case is being remanded to obtain addendum opinions from VA examiners.

The Board denied increased ratings for right knee instability and arthritis, as well as left knee instability. The Veteran's conditions were found to not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left knee replacement, status post osteoarthritis, is secondary to his service-connected residuals of right great toe fracture and/or service-connected right knee replacement, status post osteoarthritis. The issue of entitlement to service connection for painful scars, as secondary to left knee replacement, remains remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple joint arthritis of the left shoulder, lumbar spine, and knees. The claim for bilateral nuclear sclerotic cataract is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete development of evidence, including failure to address relevant DBQs and VA treatment records. The RO must obtain updated VA treatment records, conduct new examinations per Correia v. McDonald (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin (2017), issue an adequate SSOC, and readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied service connection for back problems and left knee degenerative joint disease (claimed as knee problem) due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service. The case is being remanded for further examination.