Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims can be adjudicated. The issues are remanded for addendum opinions and additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence of record. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of recent VA examination for evaluating the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, which may affect their current severity and rating.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issues of service connection for a condition of the bilateral hands, back disability, bilateral lower extremities (knees and feet), and left ankle condition. The claims are now pending again for further development.

The Board found no evidence of a cervical spine, low back, or left knee disability during service and denied service connection for these conditions.,The Veteran's complaints and treatment records post-service do not establish a direct link between his current disabilities and military service.

The Board has denied a rating greater than 20 percent for the Veteran's right knee disorder. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a sleep disorder and TDIU are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient consideration of certain evidence, including falls and flare-ups. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including hearing loss, tinnitus, back disability, and multiple orthopedic issues, were denied as there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher ratings from January 1, 2017 to May 30, 2019 and from July 1, 2020 onwards.

The Veteran's sinus disability, hypertension, right hip and left hip disabilities, jaw disability, sleep apnea, and right and left knee disabilities have been granted service connection. The Veteran is currently diagnosed with these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right ankle, hand, knee, cervical spine, and thoracolumbar spine disabilities. The cases are to be reviewed with a focus on determining whether these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and right foot disorder due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent for bilateral knee disabilities and the claim for TDIU due to inconsistencies with previous VA examinations and the need for further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and left knee disability do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, as his long-standing career experience and current medical findings indicate he can perform work tasks despite these conditions.

The Veteran's residuals of a traumatic brain injury, including word finding difficulty and neurocognitive disorder, are found to be related to his active service.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's use of a left knee brace for his service-connected disabilities caused wear and tear on his clothing, resulting in an award of a clothing allowance for calendar year 2014.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss, left knee disability (secondary to right knee degenerative joint disease), and left hand arthritis. However, the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities and addressing any flare-ups. The SSOC will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee and left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence of a current disability as defined by VA standards.

The Board has remanded the appeal for additional evidentiary development, specifically to obtain an adequate VA examination to determine the manifestations and functional impairment caused by the service-connected right and left knee disabilities.