Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's left knee arthritis is granted as service connected, with the Board finding continuity of symptoms since active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine and right knee disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, left knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's headaches were granted as secondary to service-connected sleep apnea.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's ankle disabilities or carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted service connection, and her right knee arthroscopy residuals are granted a 10 percent rating effective May 24, 2013. The Veteran also received separate ratings for symptomatic residuals of a right knee meniscectomy.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and rating of headaches, as well as the right and left knee disabilities. The VA will need to obtain private medical records from Dr. P.P. and Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's left triceps tendonitis was granted a 20% rating from October 31, 2016 to December 20, 2019 and a separate 20% rating since December 20, 2019.,The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was granted a 20% rating from October 31, 2016 to April 26, 2019 and a separate 20% rating since June 1, 2019. A separate 20% rating was also granted for the left knee meniscal tear.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment for the specified periods, warranting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate reasons and bases for denying service connection for a right knee disability. The decision will be reconsidered with an addendum medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of her anxiety disorder, low back pain, neck disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to potential changes in her condition since the last VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied, with the exception of a separate rating granted for a left knee meniscus tear and meniscectomy surgery. The appeal was also remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.

The Board has determined that further VA evaluations are needed due to the Veteran's reported worsening of her service-connected lumbosacral strain, right knee sprain, and migraine headaches. The appeals for increased ratings in these conditions have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left knee disability has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim as the appellant is deceased.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee joint osteoarthritis does not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and there is no reasonable possibility that he is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability (other than strain) is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical opinions. The Board will obtain relevant treatment records, arrange for an examination, and consider whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service or aggravated by his service-connected condition.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, right knee, and right ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's right eye disability and bilateral tubal litigation are not service-connected due to dishonorable service.,The Veteran's residual scarring from a C-section is not service-connected due to dishonorable service.,Service connection for a right eye disability, bilateral tubal litigation, and residual scarring secondary to C-section is denied.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left knee disability is remanded for further development.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded for further development.,An initial rating in excess of 30 percent for IBS and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD are remanded for further development.,Total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee limited flexion is denied. A separate 10 percent rating for pain and functional limitation in extension of the left knee is granted.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and review of additional medical evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities. The claims are currently pending as new evidence has been submitted, but a new medical opinion is needed due to conflicting opinions in the record.