Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral wrist and knee disorders due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's in-service symptoms. The claims will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder, depression, tinnitus, sinusitis, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for the entire period prior to November 2, 2020.

The Board has remanded the cases of the Veteran's left knee condition and allergic rhinitis for further action due to procedural issues.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic right knee disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and the Veteran's active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to incorrect addresses being used in previous correspondence.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and left foot disability. Service connection remains denied for right foot disability, skin condition, and stress (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck, back, left knee, and right knee disabilities, as well as gastroesophageal disorder (GERD) and gastrointestinal disorder (IBS), due to missing STRs. The Veteran is also being asked to provide mental health treatment records.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to properly evaluate the Veteran's left knee disability, including obtaining an updated examination report and addressing the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple physical conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 20, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee, left knee, low back, and right hip disabilities. The Veteran's current diagnoses of chondromalacia patella, chronic mechanical low back syndrome, and right hip labral tear are related to her military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, but has remanded the issue of service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased evaluations have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back condition and an initial compensable disability rating for a right knee surgical scar.

The Veteran's service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied, but he is granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal of his substantive appeal being untimely, as it was received more than 60 days after the September 2018 statement of the case and more than one year after the May 2017 notification letter.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to provide analysis regarding whether VA obtained proper informed consent for the procedure central to the Veteran's 38 U.S.C. § 1151 claim, and also because of the need to obtain additional medical records and conduct further examinations.

The Veteran's tinnitus, skin disorder, left foot and ankle disorders, back disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and bilateral knee disorder are all remanded for further examination and determination of service connection.

The Veteran's left knee disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted service connection. The left lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a rating of 20 percent, effective from June 10, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability that is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, left hip, and left knee disabilities. The issue of TDIU prior to December 14, 2018, remains before the Board.