Knee decisions — 2022

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for joint pain, finding that his symptoms were not related to his military service and attributing them to diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his healed left ankle fracture with residual mild traumatic arthropathy was granted. The appeal for service connection of a left knee disorder was denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the spine and left knee ACL tear with patellofemoral pain syndrome from November 10, 2016 are being remanded due to a lack of compliance with previous Board directives.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee retropatellar syndrome, right knee retropatellar syndrome, and degenerative disease of the left foot (5th metatarsal joint) due to the Veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee strain, left knee status/post anterior cruciate ligament repair, and left knee instability require additional development due to the lack of recent VA examinations. The case is being remanded to obtain updated treatment records and a new examination.

The Veteran's left knee instability and chronic strain have been granted increased ratings, with the right ankle disorder and sinusitis issues being remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current left knee disability and service. The examiner is instructed to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any current left knee disability had its onset in service or is otherwise related to any injury or event in service.

The Veteran's service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by abdominal discomfort and diarrhea is granted. Ratings of 20 percent are assigned for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with osteoarthritis, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with osteoarthritis, left knee instability, and right knee instability.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and denied service connection for left knee, lumbar spine, migraine headaches, and sleeplessness disabilities. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service complaints and current symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and a left knee condition are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The VA needs to verify the in-service stressors for PTSD and obtain an examination for the left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hip and right knee disabilities due to a duty-to-assist error in the prior decision. The Veteran's condition is being reviewed again with new evidence and examinations.

The Board denied increased ratings for right knee limitation of flexion and extension, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, as well as a TDIU claim, were denied by the Board. The appeals are based on service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ankle, right knee, and right thumb conditions due to concerns about the adequacy of the previous VA examinations.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, chloracne, and bilateral knee disabilities due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The lumbar spine and knee disabilities received the lowest possible rating, while lichen planus was rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, right sciatic radiculopathy, left knee degenerative arthritis, and major depressive disorder are not rated higher than the current assigned ratings.

The Board has remanded the claims for a lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability to include as secondary to service-connected left ankle disability due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied a rating greater than 10 percent for right knee meniscal tear with calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease and calcific tendinosis of the quadriceps tendons, and also denied a rating greater than 20 percent for semilunar cartilage right knee meniscal tear with calcium pyrophosphate disease and calcific tendinosis of the quadriceps tendons.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and need for a clarifying opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, which may be caused or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability.