Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional VA examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected left and right knee degenerative arthritis disabilities as well as the service-connected bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The issues on appeal include increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of both knees and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine traumatic arthritis and thoracolumbar spine chronic mechanical syndrome, left knee chondromalacia of the patella, right knee osteoarthritis to include ACL deficiency, and headaches as secondary to service-connected cervical spine traumatic arthritis.,The Veteran's diagnoses are supported by medical opinions linking his conditions to military service.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle, left knee, and skin disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to additional information received after a previous medical opinion. The AOJ is required to arrange for a VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee condition and other conditions, contributed to his obesity and thus aggravated his OSA.

The Board has vacated the dismissal of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee condition and granted the claim based on the evidence being approximately balanced in favor of finding that his currently diagnosed right knee condition is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, CTS of the upper extremities, and RLS are being remanded due to new evidence submitted after a previous denial.,The Veteran's claim for hypertension is also being remanded as VA treatment records need to be obtained and an updated examination may be necessary.

The Veteran is granted pension benefits from April 6, 2021 due to his inability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation by reason of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his active-duty service. The issues of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee conditions are being remanded due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeals for these issues prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling from August 6, 2010 through November 6, 2012; 30 percent disabling from April 1, 2021. The Board has remanded the case for further development and an addendum VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to the service-connected right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The issue of service connection for a left knee disability is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee osteoarthritis as secondary to a right ankle disability, and increased ratings of 40 percent for cubital tunnel syndrome in the right arm and 30 percent for cubital tunnel syndrome in the left arm.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues include a low back disability, dermatitis, left shoulder disability, upper extremity pain and numbness (to include gout), lower extremity pain and numbness (to include gout and radiculopathy), and a left knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, and his instability is rated at 30 percent. The claims for increased ratings are being remanded.,Service connection for a sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) is also being remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot due to the award of a 100 percent schedular disability rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate. The claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee and lumbar spine conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since February 20, 2012. The Board granted the TDIU claim effective from that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's increased rating claims for his service-connected right knee disabilities due to insufficient explanation in the January 2021 decision and new evidence indicating worsening of symptoms.

The Veteran's combined service-connected rating is 60 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a schedular TDIU. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) has been referred to the Director, VA Compensation Service.