Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial disability rating for various conditions are remanded due to the need for new VA examinations.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims can be adjudicated due to a lack of medical evidence on file for determining the etiology of his claimed disabilities. The claims are REMANDED for these purposes.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for the Veteran's claimed conditions are inadequate and remanded to obtain new, adequate opinions. The claims for service connection for various disabilities remain pending.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and right knee disability are granted service connection. The left knee disability is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD and dismissed the appeal for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, hypertension, and incontinence are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on a direct relationship to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities were denied due to his failure to appear for a scheduled VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his in-service stressors for PTSD and a lack of compliance with remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been remanded due to the need for additional development and examination. The Board will continue to consider her service-connected conditions, but the specific issues are related to the current severity of her bilateral knee and hip disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, migraines, and physical impairments of the right shoulder, knees, back, and eyes, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective November 2, 2015.

The Veteran's trixaicin cream was not used in conjunction with a service-connected skin disability, thus the clothing allowance claim for 2016 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for various service connection claims, including tinnitus, hearing loss, DMII, a lumbar sprain, left femur fracture, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities (sciatic and femoral nerves), and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity femoral nerve. The Board found that the earliest possible effective dates were May 7, 2013, when the Veteran filed his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to the inadequacy of the October 2020 VA examination, and the Veteran's TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with his left knee disability claim.

The Board has remanded the claim for additional opinions regarding secondary service connection for left knee arthritis, as new theories of entitlement were presented in a recent appeal. The Veteran's representative noted that his back and right knee problems likely affected his left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition as secondary to her right knee disability is denied. Her claim for service connection for a chronic left eye disability as secondary to her right knee disability is also denied.

The appeal for service connection of PTSD is dismissed as the Veteran's claim has already been granted. The remaining issues are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his initial rating for gastritis, service connection for a bilateral knee condition, and service connection for lumbosacral strain has been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, and related conditions are granted. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents during service, which supports his claims for these disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for colitis was denied as no new and relevant evidence had been submitted.,Service connection for right knee arthritis and left knee arthritis were both denied due to lack of chronicity in service, failure to manifest within the applicable presumptive period, and inability to establish a nexus to service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, right knee disability, and lumbar spine disability need further development due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and providing adequate opinions.