Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has dismissed the claims for initial and increased ratings for left knee strain with traumatic arthritis due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral disc disease, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records. The VA will attempt to obtain all outstanding service treatment records, clarify the dates of National Guard service, and provide a comprehensive examination to determine the nature and etiology of his disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to November 19, 2015.

The Board has dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for the left ankle scar, left wrist scar, left ankle disability, and left knee disability. The cases are being remanded for further evaluation of the Veteran's left knee, left wrist, and left ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for a low back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and bilateral foot disability due to open medical questions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's partial lumbar sacralization is determined to be a congenital defect with no superimposed disease or injury during service. For his left and right knee disabilities, the Board finds remand necessary for new opinions on their onset in service and relationship to service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to new evidence received after a supplemental statement of the case was issued.

The Veteran's varicocele is granted as secondary to his service-connected erectile dysfunction. The Board has also remanded for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's left ankle, lumbar spine condition, right scaphoid fracture, left scaphoid fracture, left knee, bilateral pes planus, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was reopened and granted. The claims for sinusitis and right knee disability are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to establish a link between his in-service injury and any present condition.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been found to most closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. As a result, the Veteran is granted an increased rating of 70 percent for his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left knee condition and its relationship to his right knee disability, obesity, and service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee disabilities, along with his depressive disorder, render him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a headache disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and joint pain as due to an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI. The Veteran's hypertension was not diagnosed, his hearing loss did not meet VA criteria, and there is no evidence of a current joint pain disability apart from what has already been service-connected.

The Veteran's left hip and pinky finger disabilities have been granted service connection. The appeal for tinnitus, hyperlipidemia, and residuals of a first finger injury has been dismissed.,The appeals for PTSD, anxiety, depression, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, left knee disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability are pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran is currently employed in a suitable, stable government position and has overcome any impairment of employment to which his service-connected disabilities have substantially contributed. Therefore, he does not meet the requirements for VR&E benefits to obtain a Master's degree in Interior Design or Construction Management.

The Veteran's radiculopathy, left lower extremity, is currently rated at 20 percent and granted.,For the right lower extremity, a 10 percent rating has been granted from April 8, 2018 to September 1, 2021, and another 10 percent rating was granted starting from September 2, 2021. The Veteran's initial claim for higher ratings prior to these dates remains denied.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease, left knee, is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities, including left and right total knee replacements. The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to properly assess the severity of these conditions.