Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right leg joint condition, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck disability, left knee disability, left lower extremity disorder (to include as due to stroke), and seizure disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of a right knee disability, and withdrew the appeals for increased ratings on three other disabilities (back, lower extremity nerve, and right ankle scar). The Board granted a rating of 20 percent for a right ankle disability prior to September 23, 2005.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee strain and degenerative arthritis of the right knee, as well as for left knee degenerative joint disease. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence linking his conditions to active duty service.

The Veteran's combined disability rating reached 100% as of July 2009, meeting the criteria for a TDIU effective from that date. The Board also granted SMC based on his service-connected disabilities starting January 24, 2017.

The Veteran's right hip condition and acquired psychiatric disorder (schizophrenia) are granted service connection. The low back and left knee conditions, which are secondary to the bilateral hip conditions, remain in dispute.,A remand is ordered for further development of the low back and left knee issues.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and military service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, which included pain, instability, and swelling, was rated at 30 percent from January 1, 2016, to July 1, 2017. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to lack of ankylosis, limited extension, or severe painful motion/weakness.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis due to new evidence submitted since the final denial. However, the claims are still pending as further examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities are granted as secondary to her service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.,A request for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for further proceedings, including consideration of extraschedular TDIU due to the Veteran's right knee condition. The effective date is not specified as it pertains to a claim raised after the initial rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for left foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The most persuasive evidence supports the Veteran's claims that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's right knee DJD is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury and subsequent surgery.,The Veteran's left knee DJD is granted based on aggravation of a pre-existing condition during service. ,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted to support his right knee disability claim. His bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) claims were also denied due to lack of a medical link between the conditions and service, while his lumbar spine condition claim was denied without sufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, depressive disorder, right and left knee disabilities, ischemic heart disease with atrial fibrillation, tension headaches, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, chronic prostatitis, back disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability have been granted. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for these conditions is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence being added to the record since the last decision in 2017. The AOJ is instructed to consider this new evidence and issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The decision also noted that the Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip, knee, and ankle conditions due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be causally related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right and left knee, hip, back, and psychiatric conditions. The cases are being returned to VA for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.