Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting a VA examination for his ankle disabilities. The Veteran is also advised that he may need to provide additional information or releases to obtain certain medical records.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right knee disorders due to a need for a new VA medical opinion to address whether these conditions are caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left knee condition is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and treatment records review.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, right and left hip, and right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has found the February 2022 VA examination inadequate and did not comply with prior Board remand directives. The case is being remanded for another VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability and erectile dysfunction due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disorder and whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left total knee arthroplasty. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for left total knee arthroplasty and left knee scars are also remanded.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis is rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5260 for limitation of flexion. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at a maximum of 30 percent for limitation of flexion, effective throughout the appeal period. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for painful and limited extension.

The Board has determined that the VA examination is inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claims.,The Board also found that there was no causal relationship between the current right and left knee disabilities and service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for further development regarding the Veteran's left knee disability during a specific period of time.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions, including for service connection and increased ratings. The issues of service connection for left knee meniscal condition, right knee meniscal condition, and left knee genu recurvatum have been raised by the record and need further development.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 50 percent, effective July 22, 2019.,The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative joint disease of the left knee are both currently rated as severe.

The Board has remanded the issue of TDIU from January 20, 2009 to March 22, 2010 due to a lack of explanation for not referring the earlier period for extraschedular consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right and left knee disabilities based on limitation of leg flexion, finding that the evidence did not show these conditions had limited range of motion to 30 degrees or less at any time during the period of the claim.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective May 1, 2015. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for cervical spine disability and rating higher than 40 percent for nerve impairment associated with right shoulder impingement syndrome.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and a right knee disorder during the July 2021 Board hearing.,The remaining issues of service connection for back disorder, left leg disorder, cervical disorder (to include as secondary to a back disorder), acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not productive of flexion limited to at least 30 degrees, extension limited to at least 10 degrees, or ankylosis. The symptoms associated with his GERD prior to November 30, 2015 were not productive of persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation.,Beginning November 30, 2015, the Veteran's GERD symptoms did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.