Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's right knee disability is related to her service.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability was reopened and granted. The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea, claimed as secondary to PTSD, is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and osteoarthritis of bilateral knees as secondary to service-connected pes planus.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities (including pes planus), is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for cardiovascular disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease, arthralgias, and low back disability have been granted. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct further examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were denied. He was granted a temporary total disability evaluation for his left knee post-total knee replacement from August 28, 2020 to September 30, 2021 and an increased rating of 60% since October 1, 2021.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates due to outstanding records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder, bilateral wrist, and bilateral knee disorders due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran testified that his symptoms began during active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations by orthopedists.

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with its January 2022 remand orders and another remand of the issues is necessary.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right wrist, right and left knee disabilities, cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for his left knee disability from July 1, 2017 to December 8, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee strain and instability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's joint and muscle pain. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent rating, effective as of the date of decision. The right knee disability receives a 100 percent rating for one year following total knee replacement surgery on September 30, 2014. An increased rating higher than 30 percent for the service-connected right knee disability post-replacement is denied. A TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to July 26, 2018 is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in permanent loss of use of one or both hands or feet, nor ankylosis of either knee. Therefore, he does not qualify for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance with adaptive equipment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic right knee sprain and chronic lumbosacral sprain, both secondary to her service-connected left knee injury.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset of knee disabilities during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to her service-connected left knee disability, including if it was aggravated by that condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appeal is moot due to his death. The Board lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate VA examination and issues related to TDIU. The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 30 percent disabling, but he seeks an increased rating. Additionally, his TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issue.