Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient development and lack of adequate medical opinions. The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, neurological condition, peripheral neuropathy, skin cancer, and chronic headaches are all being reviewed again.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and disc disease, left knee arthritis with history of meniscal tear, and right knee arthritis with history of meniscal tear due to new evidence added to his electronic claims file.

The Veteran's initial requests for higher ratings for his right and left knee disabilities were denied. The current evaluations of 10 percent for each knee remain unchanged.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 1, 1994, for service connection of PTSD was denied. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his left knee disability, were not shown to be related to service. The Board denied these claims due to lack of evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis prior to schedular eligibility for the period prior to July 26, 2010 is denied. The Board found that his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to their combined evaluation of 30 percent. The appeal for secondary service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and low back condition are remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for right hip strain, right knee strain, and any right hand condition (claimed as residuals of a right hand fracture).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders due to insufficient evidence regarding whether his pre-existing conditions were aggravated by military duties.

The Board has ordered a remand for additional development due to the need for another VA examination of the Veteran's right knee disorder, as there is evidence that his condition may have worsened since the last examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to inadequate opinions from VA examiners. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The cases of a back disability, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of low back strain, service connection for bilateral knee disability and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded due to failure to appear for VA examinations. A new examination is needed to determine the current severity of his service-connected low back strain, nature and etiology of any diagnosed right and/or left knee disabilities, and whether any acquired psychiatric conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to inadequate reasons or bases in the previous decisions. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to her in-service motor vehicle accident, but there are no STRs showing a direct impact on the neck. For the left and right knee disabilities, the Board found that additional evidence was needed as the VA examination did not adequately address the lack of complaints about the knees until 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the earliest claim was filed on July 28, 2014.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability and denied increased ratings for various knee disabilities, left knee disability (impairment of knee due to instability), right hip disability, and lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's claims were not based on exposure to specific environmental factors.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities and/or migraines, as well as a need for additional development regarding the Veteran's TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran is entitled to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status due to his service-connected conditions, including cervical radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The Veteran's service connection claims for ampullary carcinoma and right knee disability have been remanded due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.,The Veteran's total disability due to individual unemployability claim is also remanded as it may be impacted by the above-mentioned issues.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection claims.