Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hip strain is granted service connection, while his sleep disorder, exposure to hazards claimed as undiagnosed illness, dysentery, gout, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, left knee tendonitis, PTSD, and TDIU claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left leg tendonitis, hypertension, headaches, a neck disorder (secondary to right knee disability), a left hip disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) due to new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Board has granted an annual clothing allowance for the Veteran's right knee brace used for a service-connected disability in 2014, but denied the claim for a wheelchair due to lack of use.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within the applicable presumptive period following service. The Board also found that the current bilateral knee conditions are not related to any in-service injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, finding no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his active military service.

The appeal for service connection for a disability of the low back is dismissed.,The appeal for service connection for a disability of the bilateral ankles is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for service-connected tension headaches has been granted, and he is now entitled to the maximum schedular disability rating. The issue of entitlement to TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities has also been granted.

The Board has vacated the May 12, 2021 decision and remanded for consideration of additional evidence related to right knee disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right knee condition and her service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, post-TKA, is currently rated at 30 percent and the Board has denied a higher rating from October 1, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an opinion regarding the impact of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy on his right knee symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudicative action regarding service connection claims for various disabilities, including low back, right foot, left foot, right knee/leg, and left knee/leg disabilities. The Veteran contends these disabilities are related to an in-service parachute accident during airborne training.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, patella chondromalacia of the right and left knees, and erectile dysfunction. The decision on these issues is pending further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a lack of proper range of motion findings in the previous VA examination, and because the rating criteria for musculoskeletal disabilities were amended effective February 7, 2021.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury due to new and material evidence. The claims for bilateral foot disorder and right knee condition are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's respiratory condition appeal has been withdrawn. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral ankle or knee disabilities related to service, and remands for further examination.

The Veteran is granted a separate compensable rating of 10% for pain in his left hip and knee, related to his service-connected left leg disability. The other issues remain pending.

The Board granted a 60 percent disability rating for the left knee replacement from May 1, 2019 to April 21, 2022. The Veteran's symptoms included severe painful motion or weakness.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right knee disorder. The case is now pending for further development and an addendum opinion from a VA orthopedist.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected left knee and bilateral hip disabilities, as well as his claim for a TDIU prior to December 10, 2013, are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the current nature and severity of these conditions.