Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's disabilities and his service-connected bilateral navicular tuberosities. The VA will obtain addendum opinions as requested.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the Veteran's left knee condition. The Veteran is required to provide another VA examination and receive a new opinion on whether his current left knee disorders are related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for low back, left knee, lupus, fibromyalgia, and bilateral hearing loss conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to military service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, headaches secondary to major depressive disorder, and increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities have been granted. The case is REMANDED for additional development including examinations and readjudication.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted in the March 2022 rating decision, resolving a part of his appeal for increased ratings for his bilateral knee conditions.

The Board has determined that the reduction in disability ratings for bilateral knee disabilities and right lower extremity radiculopathy was not proper, and these ratings are being restored. The Veteran's entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy is also remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that his right knee osteoarthritis did not cause or aggravate his obesity, and therefore could not be considered an intermediate step in causing his left knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including his status post left knee ACL reconstruction and limitation of flexion, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities due to incomplete examination data.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination opinions and need for updated medical records. The Veteran's service-connected diabetes is alleged to be related to his polymyositis, and he argues that his arthritis and back/neck conditions are also related to this condition.

The Board denied service connection for head injury, bilateral knee disability, blurred vision (also claimed as bilateral eye condition), tinnitus, skin disability, jaw disability, and loss of teeth.,No new evidence or reopened claims were presented to support these denials.

The Board has remanded the cases for further analysis of secondary service connection based on aggravation due to a left ankle condition.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to incomplete service personnel records and missing SSA disability determination. The Veteran's right leg/hip disorder is still under consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II, and bilateral foot disability due to potential in-service injuries or conditions. Additional development is needed, including obtaining medical opinions on etiology.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and medical opinions provided are inadequate, and thus the case is being remanded to obtain addendum opinions from appropriate clinicians regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral lower extremity disorders (to include varicose veins, bilateral hip degenerative arthritis, bilateral knee strain, and left knee meniscal tear) and bilateral foot disorders (to include bilateral hammer toes, bilateral foot degenerative arthritis, bilateral calcaneal spurs, and bilateral achilles enthesopathy/achilles tendinitis).

The Board has remanded the claims for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess range of motion measurements in degrees for the Veteran's knees while in weight-bearing.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the current evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right knee and degenerative joint disease of the left knee have been denied. The Veteran received a 10 percent rating prior to October 21, 2015, based on limitation of motion, but her claim was not granted higher than that level.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of right and left total knee replacements were also denied. She currently receives a 30 percent rating for each condition.

The Veteran's low back disability with radiculopathy has been rated at 10 percent, and a higher rating is not warranted.,New evidence supports reopening of the Veteran's claims for left knee surgery, skin condition (folliculitis), and fibromyalgia.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances for his back brace, right knee brace, and left knee brace for the calendar year 2013 due to the damage these braces cause to his clothing.