Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination and insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right knee condition. A new examination is required to determine if any diagnosed right knee disability is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, right knee disability, and low back condition due to inadequate medical opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination for the Veteran's left knee disabilities, and obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the claimed primary vitiligo.

The Board denied service connection for a stroke and remanded the cases of right knee instability, right knee arthritis with history of pulled ligament, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome status post meniscal tear.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent prior to August 18, 2015 and his left knee chondromalacia is rated at 30 percent from August 8, 2016. Both issues are being remanded for further development.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was found to have functional impairment equivalent to favorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine prior to August 18, 2015 and his left knee chondromalacia is rated at 40 percent from August 8, 2016 due to severe instability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to insufficient medical evidence addressing whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU prior to June 9, 2019 due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is required to be provided with a new examination to assess his right knee disability and another medical opinion regarding his employment limitations.

The Board has ordered the RO to obtain private treatment records identified by the Veteran, associate all obtained private treatment records with the claims file, and schedule a VA examination for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee conditions. The claims are being remanded due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's MDD symptoms did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent.,The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU effective August 25, 2014.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for skin, right hip, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right hip disability, bilateral lower extremity disability (excluding radiculopathy and left knee), right shoulder disability, and sleep disorder have been denied.,There is no evidence showing the presence of these conditions during or after active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining VA treatment records from April 2021 to present, scheduling a VA examination, and addressing the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee instability and left knee strain with osteoarthritis and patellofemoral chondromalacia.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have worsened, and the Board finds it necessary to remand this matter for clarification regarding whether her service-connected disabilities preclude her from performing the duties of the occupation for which she previously was found rehabilitated or if the occupation is unsuitable on the basis of her specific employment handicap.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability (DJD) and a low back disability (DDD), finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or any other compensable condition.,Both conditions were determined to be unrelated to active duty, with no credible evidence of onset during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lung disability and knee disabilities due to service connection issues. The lung disability claim is related to asbestos exposure, while the knee disabilities are linked to a reported fall during service.

The Board has determined that additional remand is required to obtain a new VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, including whether it was related to service or any in-service injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and lumbar degenerative disc disease were denied in February 2011. The Board finds that the February 2011 decision contained CUE as it failed to fully consider available evidence of record, including service treatment records.,The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted with an effective date of January 26, 2010.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for an initial compensable rating for a left knee scar and a rating in excess of 30 percent disabling for a total left knee replacement.