Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee conditions and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The issues of TDIU are also being remanded due to the interrelated nature with the other claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) due to unclear medical findings regarding flare-ups and instability.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, left knee disability, and lumbar spine condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service-connected pes planus. The Veteran's other claims have been decided.

The Board has remanded four issues: increased ratings for left knee and right ankle disorders, service connection for sleep apnea, and a TDIU claim. The reasons include inadequate examinations and the need for addendum opinions on PTSD's impact on sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in not separately adjudicating the Veteran's claim for a separate rating for left knee instability under Diagnostic Code 5257. The Veteran is seeking this additional rating based on his reports of instability, including falling because of instability at a Board hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a total right knee replacement and a total left hip replacement as secondary to the right knee replacement are both granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder is granted. The claims for low back, left knee, and bilateral foot disabilities are remanded.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 5, 2018 for higher ratings of 20 percent for both right and left knee degenerative arthritis with meniscal tear.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to hypertension, hemorrhoids, sleep impairment, a swollen artery in the stomach, neck disability, right shoulder disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability need further examination and evaluation. The VA will obtain all relevant records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate opinions in prior decisions. The Veteran's reports of in-service and post-service symptoms are considered.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disability, lumbosacral strain, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, ankle, shoulder, and back disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the need for regular aid and attendance due to his ability to manage personal hygiene, financial affairs, and daily activities.

The Board denied compensation for an additional left knee disorder, specifically septic arthritis status-post viscosupplementation injection (VSI), due to the absence of evidence showing VA's fault in administering the procedure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower back pain, right knee condition, and left knee medial meniscal tear are related to service. The decision is granted for all three conditions.

The Board has ordered a new examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's right knee disability due to unclear information from previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a medical opinion and an incomplete review of the service department records. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities need to be evaluated in relation to his discharge.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right knee conditions and service connection for foot conditions, as well as TDIU. Additional development is needed to provide a complete evaluation of these issues.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of hypertension, left knee condition, and right knee condition due to the Veteran's death.