Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to procedural issues, lack of adequate medical opinions, and need for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lower back, right knee, and unspecified eyesight disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran must be provided with VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including chondromalacia patella and partial meniscectomy, is rated at 20 percent prior to July 12, 2018.,Special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate was denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for asthma has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal. The Board has remanded several other issues related to various disorders, including headaches, bilateral eye disorder, chronic sinusitis, skin disorder, neck disorder, upper back muscular disorder, left elbow disorder, left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, left hand disorder, right hand disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, left leg shin splints, right leg shin splints, and left foot disorder. The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, sleep apnea, tinnitus, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left knee patellar chondromalacia, and right knee patellar chondromalacia have also been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee condition is related to his military service, specifically if it was aggravated by his duties.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder, right knee, and right ankle disabilities render him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment for the rating period prior to April 21, 2016.

The Board has determined that the appeal is not properly before the Board under the new Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act (AMA) and requires a remand to address these issues using the legacy system.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before a decision can be made on the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, right shoulder, and left sided trigeminal neuralgia disabilities. The Veteran will need to provide her complete service treatment records, including those from her deployment period in Korea, and VA will seek these records. She will also undergo new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for sinus condition, sleep apnea, right foot condition, left knee condition, and right hip condition due to procedural issues.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right wrist, right knee, and low back disabilities. The cases are being remanded for additional development regarding her left wrist and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the claimed condition and his assertions are contradicted by his STRs.

The Veteran's hypertension, eye disability, recurrent sinus disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left facial injury residuals with chronic headaches and facial numbness are all remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The Veteran's right knee disability is remanded for a new VA examination to address his reported symptoms and functional limitations.,The Veteran's left wrist disability is remanded for clarification of whether the current symptoms are related to his service-connected wrist disability, and for further development regarding any separate disabilities.,The Veteran's TBI claim is remanded for an addendum opinion addressing whether he has a current diagnosis of a TBI or residuals thereof, and if so, whether it is at least as likely as not related to in-service injury.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70% evaluation.,For the period prior to February 7, 2021, the Veteran's left knee lateral and anterior instability has been evaluated at 20%, but no higher.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current left knee disability and his service. The examiner is asked to provide a thorough opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's current left knee disability is related to any incident from his period of active military service.

The Veteran is granted a clothing allowance for the 2015 calendar year due to damage caused by his service-connected bilateral knee braces.

The Veteran's service-connected scars of the knees and scar, post-operative residuals of left inguinal hernia are not rated higher due to their current manifestations. The separate rating for painful scars associated with the knees and left inguinal hernia is upheld.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders due to new evidence received since the final denial in April 2011. The Veteran's current bilateral knee disorder is being evaluated, along with his claim for a temporary total rating based on surgery necessitating convalescence.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right tibia and fibula impairment, right knee disability, left knee disability, and initial rating for back disability prior to May 28, 2021 are denied. The current 10% ratings assigned for these conditions remain unchanged.

The Board has found that there are outstanding VA treatment records and installation records related to the Veteran's left hip and knee conditions. The claims are being remanded for further development to obtain these records.