Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including thyroid disability, psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disabilities, avitaminosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and arthritis. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development of evidence related to these intertwined claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD, bilateral knee disabilities, and hemorrhoids due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the rating issues.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations. The issues include head injuries, psychiatric disorders, hearing loss, sleep apnea, spine problems, nerve damage in limbs, and knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for bilateral knee conditions. The Veteran's claims for bilateral keratoconus have been denied.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to reopening service connection for various injuries and disabilities, including head injury with motor skills and loss of range of motion, right hip injury, right knee injury, fractured right femur, and scars. The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn.

The Veteran's right and left knee chondromalacia with retropatellar pain syndrome are currently rated at 10 percent each under DC 5260, which evaluates limitation of flexion. The VA examiner found no evidence of instability or extension issues.,Both knees have been rated as noncompensable under DC 5261 for limitation of extension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or infection related to his current arthritis. The Board also found no continuity of symptoms since service and no evidence of a nexus between the current condition and service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and examination to determine if service connection can be established for a left hip disability and bilateral knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for further medical examinations. The issues include lumbar spine, knee, ankle, colon cancer, kidney disability (chronic renal failure), and Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee arthrotomy with scar and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The examinations need to comply with the requirements set forth in Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017), and Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016).

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting objective medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran had instability during the pendency of the appeal. The claim will be further developed with VA examinations and a full range of motion assessment.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hypertrophy, memory disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, lumbar spine disability (chronic low back pain), chronic cervical strain, allergic rhinitis, gastrointestinal disabilities, colon diverticulosis, and degenerative joint diseases of multiple joints. The Board found no evidence to support service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee pain and remanded the issue of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to a disagreement over the amount of past-due benefits awarded to the attorney for securing service connection for fibromyalgia, Meniere's disease, and right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee and left shoulder disabilities, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, including as secondary to a service-connected left ankle disability. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, stress fractures of both lower extremities, left knee instability, and synovial cyst at L4-L5. The claim for new and material evidence to reopen service connection for left elbow arthritis was granted.

The Veteran's residuals of fractured coccyx (claimed as back injury) were caused by a parachuting injury during active-duty service and granted service connection.,Obstructive sleep apnea was first diagnosed during active-duty service, and the Veteran is granted service connection for this condition. The initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee remains pending as remanded.

The Board has found the VA examinations inadequate and remanded for further development, including scheduling new examinations to address service connection claims for various foot, ankle, knee, and back disabilities.