Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for back, cervical spine, and left knee disabilities. The case is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's left ankle arthritis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to worsening symptoms and inadequate examination reports. The Veteran is seeking higher disability ratings for his lumbosacral strain with left scoliosis, left knee strain, and right knee strain.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence being added to the record, and it is up to the AOJ to review this additional information before making a decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his right knee condition. The issues regarding bilateral toe conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee surgical scars was denied, and his claim for an earlier effective date prior to August 2012 for the assignment of a 10 percent disability rating for service-connected right knee surgical scars was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right and left shoulder strains, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and left knee arthritis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU from July 27, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal regarding increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, and left shoulder strain was remanded. The appeal as to the issue of an increased rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including arthritis of the shoulders, left ankle, right knee, cervical spine, and right wrist, are granted. The Veteran is also awarded a 20% rating for his left knee disability since June 12, 2018.

The Board has remanded the cases for a VA examination to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's current knee disorders and his service, including his military duties as an infantryman.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot, ankle, knee, and fibula disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that is related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, with the Board finding that the evidence in equipoise as to whether it had its onset during active duty service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations from April and May 2019. The Court held that these examinations did not fully consider the Veteran's prior medical history, particularly his conceded in-service stressor of a mountain bike accident.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left lower extremity disabilities have resulted in permanent loss of use of both feet, qualifying him for financial assistance to purchase an automobile or adaptive equipment.

The Board has determined that there is a need to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee meniscal tear, as the July 2021 VA medical opinion in favor of the claim was not considered due to regulatory constraints. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral flat feet, low back disability, right knee disability, and tinnitus. Service connection was denied for a right hip disability.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the regulatory requirements.,Service connection for migraine headaches was denied due to lack of in-service disease or injury and failure to establish a causal relationship with service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right thumb, knee instability, and knee degenerative arthritis disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion regarding functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee disability and bilateral pes planus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for postoperative internal derangement, left knee, with DJD and instability has been denied. The claim for a compensable rating for limited extension of the left knee has also been denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right knee instability is being remanded due to inconsistencies in the most recent VA examination report. The case will be returned to the examiner to clarify whether the Veteran has current instability of the right knee and its extent.