Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee conditions due to new evidence being added to the record.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right and left knee conditions due to the need for more contemporary evaluation and additional functional loss assessment during flare-ups.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current knee disabilities and his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, bilateral leg condition, and bilateral ankle condition due to new evidence submitted. However, the claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability was not reopened as there was no new and material evidence provided.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the August 2021 Board remand and has ordered further action to be taken on the appeals for higher ratings for service-connected ankle, knee, and hip disabilities. The AOJ is required to review the expanded record, including private examinations submitted by the Veteran's representative in December 2020, and any additional audiograms obtained.

The Board has determined that there have been substantial compliance issues with the previous remand directives and thus, the case is being returned to the VA for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate October 2019 VA examination, which did not include passive and non-weight-bearing range of motion testing. The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10%.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to a lack of a VA examination. The Veteran served in the military, including heavy infantry and field training.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating of a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence showing diagnoses not present at previous denials.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting findings regarding the nature and severity of the Veteran's right knee instability. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to determine this.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70% disability rating, and his right knee disability was denied an increased rating beyond the maximum available.

The Board has vacated its previous decisions on several service connection claims and remanded them for further review.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for updated employment information and a new examination to assess his employability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of his right shoulder, left wrist, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities as he withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and requests for additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee strain and spondylosis of the cervical spine, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability and active service, respectively.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development and re-adjudication due to deficiencies in the rating decisions, including issues related to knee extension measurements and instability ratings.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right foot plantar fascitis, left foot plantar fascitis, sciatica, rhinitis, sinusitis, and headaches as the evidence does not support a current disability.,The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Veteran's right and left knee arthropathy and degenerative arthritis, as well as his right and left elbow tendinitis, lumbosacral arthralgia, L5-S1 paracentral disc protrusion, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) are all granted.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's claimed conditions based on their relationship to in-service injuries or stressors.