Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has decided that a disability rating greater than 50 percent for other specified trauma and stress-related disorder is denied, service connection for arthritis of the bilateral knees, shoulders, hands, hips, elbows, and ankles is granted, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The issue of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder has been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection of right ankle and right knee conditions due to insufficient evidence, requiring further examination and opinion.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of rating a left knee disability. The Veteran will have one more opportunity to attend a VA examination in order to determine the nature and severity of his left knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, but denied service connection for a heart disability due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back, left knee, and right knee disabilities are related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right knee condition, injury due to potential deficiencies in medical opinions and development of records.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to incomplete medical records. Additional development is needed, including obtaining VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from a VA physician.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left knee flexion limitation have been granted, with a TDIU awarded from November 21, 2015 to August 12, 2018.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and a need for a retrospective medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left knee disability and its relationship to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities, including total joint replacements, are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after his period of active service.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee replacements have been granted a combined rating of 60 percent, effective July 1, 2015. Separate ratings for left and right knee instability have also been granted.

The Veteran's current right and left knee disorders are related to his military service.,OSA is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, right hip disability, and right-side back disability as secondary to his service-connected fourth right metatarsal stress fracture.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate examination in April 2022. The appellant is required to provide a new medical opinion considering all relevant evidence, including lay statements and service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a new VA examination and to provide him with an opportunity to obtain treatment records from his private massage therapist. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability are granted service connection. The right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, right hip, left hip, and bilateral hearing loss claims are remanded for further development.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's tinnitus, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability.