Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, right knee, left ankle, and left knee disorders due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbar spine disability, left and right knee disabilities, and ankle strains, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation from December 10, 2009 to March 11, 2012. A TDIU was granted for this period.

The Veteran's left hip, right knee, and left knee disorders were not incurred or aggravated during service.,Service connection was denied for all three conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for a left knee disability, including retropatellar pain syndrome, is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA treatment records from February 2004 onwards. The current records do not reflect any outstanding records since that date.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal of service connection for a prostate disability and has remanded several other issues related to various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, foot, upper extremity, lower extremity neuropathies, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims are now pending again with the RO.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all listed conditions, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.

The Veteran's left knee ACL injury is not related to service, and the Board denied service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's right foot calcaneal heel spur, bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, and degenerative arthritis are rated at 50 percent since February 24, 2021. The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date and higher rating.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was denied due to lack of clear finding regarding the Veteran's time in service.,Service connection for enlarged thyroid, goiter was not established as there are no indications of a diagnosis during service or related to service.,Service connection for sleep apnea is not supported by evidence and was denied.,Service connection for rosacea (claimed previously as red nose) is not supported by evidence and was denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a right knee disability due to new and material evidence. However, the case is remanded as further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing right knee disability was aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, left knee strain, internal derangement of the right knee, total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU), and PTSD due to missing SSA records and examination reports that do not comply with the Board's instructions.

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's knee disorders, specifically whether they are service-connected and if they were caused or aggravated by his service-connected low back disability. The appeal is currently pending for a new VA examination.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals regarding the service connection claims for right shoulder disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The increased rating claims for left shoulder disability and left shoulder scars have also been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee conditions and a left hip condition due to incomplete verification of his military service records, inadequate examination findings, and inapplicable reasoning.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions regarding his mental health conditions during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that her service-connected conditions do not render it impossible for her to obtain or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's skin disability, right knee disability, and sleep disability are granted service connection. The skin disability is related to toxic environmental exposures during his active duty in the Persian Gulf War. The right knee and sleep disabilities require further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee limitation of flexion and extension due to insufficient examination data. The Veteran's limitations need further clarification.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability (to include as secondary to right knee), and low back condition (to include as secondary to right knee) due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and her military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, lumbar spine, and left lower extremity nerve disabilities due to conflicting medical opinions and the Veteran's failure to report to scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for right pinky boxer's fracture residuals, right hand scar, left ankle condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition have been granted.,Service connection has also been granted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to his service-connected left knee replacement are being remanded due to the need for further development.