Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 30 percent effective October 9, 2017. The Board also granted service connection for foot, knee, hip, and low back disabilities as secondary to the right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to non-compliance with prior remand directives regarding retrospective medical opinions on functional impairment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability and lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed conditions and their relationship to his military service. The VA is directed to attempt verification of non-combat stressors, schedule a psychiatric examination, and obtain medical opinions on hypertension, tension headaches, low back disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and left foot disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives, including obtaining a VA examination.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, including osteoarthritis with meniscal tears, are rated at 20 percent each. Separate ratings of 20 percent for instability in both knees have been granted. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and examination reports. The Veteran is required to undergo further VA examinations and obtain medical opinions regarding his left knee, eye disorder, and respiratory disorders.

The Veteran's left knee strain did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent from May 1, 2015, to March 31, 2021.,From June 1, 2021, the Veteran's left knee strain also did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding increased ratings for several disabilities and service connection claims, including for headaches, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, a left knee condition, and bilateral hearing loss. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and PFB have been denied as there is no current disability meeting the VA definition of a hearing loss disability.,For his right shoulder, knee, ankle, and foot disorders, unspecified circulation disorder, and scalp disorder (previously claimed as alopecia), the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee osteoarthritis, limitation of flexion, degenerative disc disease with strain, and upper extremity radiculopathy due to inconsistencies in the October 2019 VA examination report. The RO is instructed to obtain all relevant treatment records and schedule new VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to unclear VA treatment records and the need to clarify the Veteran's ratings based on different diagnostic codes used throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 60 percent effective February 27, 2020. The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of her left knee disability and for readjudication.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral foot arthritis and hammertoes is granted. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral knee arthritis, as well as the TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for healed fracture deformity of the right hand and right knee condition due to conflicting findings regarding flare-ups and functional loss. The Veteran's statements about his symptoms need further clarification.

The Veteran's left knee disability with instability is rated at 20 percent, and a separate 10 percent rating for flexion limitation is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee condition, finding that the Veteran's lay statements and medical opinions support his claim that he injured his knee during military service. The Board also found no contrary evidence of record.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's right knee disability due to its worsening since his last examination in August 2018. The Veteran was previously granted service connection for this condition, and the appeal now focuses on determining an appropriate rating.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent prior to August 29, 2013, and 20 percent from that date. The Veteran's left hip strain has also been rated at 10 percent.,The ratings for the Veteran's knee disabilities are based on painful motion without a compensable degree of impairment in either knee.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder and bilateral knee conditions were not incurred in or related to service, thus denying service connection for these conditions.