Knee decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right knee, and thoracolumbar spine disabilities due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.,There were no documented incidents or diagnoses related to the claimed knee and back disabilities during service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed neck, upper back, and bilateral knee disorders. The VA will need to provide an addendum opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent for limitation of flexion and instability prior to April 16, 2018. From April 16, 2018 to June 1, 2019, the Veteran was rated at 30 percent due to his total knee replacement. Since then, he has been rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disorder, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right knee chondromalacia, left knee chondromalacia (status post surgery), right ankle degenerative changes (post-fracture), right shoulder degenerative changes, and left shoulder status post resection of the left distal clavicle are all granted. Headaches and sinusitis also received initial rating grants.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability due to outstanding treatment records not being obtained. The case will be returned to the Board after these records are reviewed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and TBI have been granted.,Service connection for hepatitis C has been denied.

The Veteran's right knee strain and patellofemoral pain syndrome have been rated at 10 percent since August 16, 2021. The Board found that the current ratings are not warranted for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increase in disability ratings for left knee arthritis and instability due to unclear current manifestations of his service-connected conditions. A new VA examination is needed to clarify whether recurrent subluxation or instability continues.

The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities has been granted. However, the claims themselves remain denied as there is no evidence showing that the current disabilities are related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee degenerative joint diseases are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also remanded.

The Veteran's left knee impairment with shrapnel removal has been rated at 10 percent for limitation of motion. The Board denied a higher rating as the flexion and extension did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, but granted separate 10 percent ratings for instability in both knees.

The Veteran's service-connected ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, and foot disabilities have been granted. A 10 percent rating for GERD has also been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current knee disabilities are related to his active service. The case is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has found that a new VA examination is needed due to the lack of specific information regarding pain points and weight-bearing limitations in the October 2021 VA examination report. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for Lyme disease and right knee disability due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran will need to provide updated medical records, and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner will be obtained to address whether her conditions are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disorder as there is no current diagnosis of the condition and the Veteran's reported symptoms are not supported by medical evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for right hand, left hand, right knee, left knee, right hip and left hip disabilities due to the Veteran's credible history of chronic symptoms since military service.

The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance for 2015 due to his service-connected left knee disability is granted because the evidence shows that the metal hinges on his brace cause friction and abnormal wear and tear on his clothes.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral knee arthritis, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or secondary to service-connected disabilities.