Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a left knee disability and a thoracic spine disability, as they are related to already service-connected cervical spine and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues with his right and left knee disorders, right ankle disorders, low back disorder, and chest pain condition. The claims are inextricably intertwined as they all relate to the same period of active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for further evaluation due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for a new examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including patellar tendonitis, knee strain, and low-grade femorotibial chondromalacia, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has ordered a remand due to the inadequacy of the VA examination reports in assessing the severity of his symptoms.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was granted a 40 percent rating effective from March 15, 2013.,A separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and a left knee disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing further opinions on the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his knee conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to reports of worsening symptoms and a need for updated VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10 percent rating for his right knee disability, finding that there was no ascertainable increase in severity of the disability within one year prior to February 28, 2017.

The Veteran's left foot DJD and calcaneal spur, right ankle DJD status-post malleolus avulsion fracture, right knee DJD, and left knee DJD have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent since April 1, 2011. The Veteran's mild incomplete paralysis of the left (minor) upper radicular group nerves has also been granted a rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a separate 10 percent disability rating for right knee instability based on lateral instability is granted, effective September 2, 2011. The Board also denied his claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disability and a compensable rating prior to May 18, 2018, for right knee instability.

All claims of increased rating and effective date have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in May 2022.

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

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for her service-connected left knee strain is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to clarify the current severity of her condition, including limitation of motion and instability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hiatal hernia with GERD, lumbar strain with spinal stenosis, disc bulge, and spondylosis, left knee patellofemoral compartment and pain syndrome, right knee osteoarthritis with patella femoral pain syndrome are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted with separate ratings for patellar instability and limitation of extension. The Veteran's sciatic nerve radulopathy is granted at 20 percent prior to September 24, 2021, and at 40 percent beginning that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to deficiencies in the VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's left knee condition, including patellar rupture with meniscal tear and tendonitis, resulted in significant limitation of motion and instability. The VA examiner found the Veteran's range of motion to be at worst 30 degrees extension and 100 degrees flexion, warranting a 40 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5261.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to ratings in excess of 10 percent each for service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease and service-connected left knee instability, as well as an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The RO is instructed to schedule VA examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for hypertension. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back condition, and right knee condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence.