Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for her lumbar spine disability and service connection for a right knee disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, diagnosed as patellofemoral pain syndrome and degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence is at least approximately balanced or nearly equal as to whether these conditions were incurred in or caused by his active-duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected TBI.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified depressive disorder, has been granted. The condition is found to be at least as likely as not related to his obstructive sleep apnea.,A higher rating of 20 percent for left extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) has been granted.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for left knee instability, finding that the Veteran's statements and objective medical evidence do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's right and left knee chondromalacia patella have been granted increased ratings up to 30 percent, effective from April 29, 2008, through April 26, 2022. Ratings in excess of 30 percent are denied as of April 27, 2022 for right knee chondromalacia patella and left knee chondromalacia patella.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient nexus opinions provided by a VA examiner. The Veteran contends that his current knee disabilities are related to his active duty service, including boot camp and marching duties.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions provided in previous decisions. The case is returned for further review with new medical opinions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability as secondary to his service-connected bilateral ankles. The remaining issues of increased rating for psychiatric disability, service connection for sleep apnea, and service connection for left hip condition, right hip condition, left knee, and right knee are remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disability is service-connected as secondary to his right knee disability.

The Veteran's skin, neck, back, right knee, and left knee disabilities were not found to be related to his active service.,There is no current evidence of a back disability or bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and an opinion regarding the relationship between his current knee conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and left knee disability have been remanded due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding whether his disabilities are secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Board has found that there are missing relevant documents from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and remanded for the AOJ to reconstruct the record and associate all pertinent records with the electronic claims file.

The Veteran's left leg disability is not related to service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's back disability is not related to service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right knee degenerative joint disease, finding no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for his bilateral hip and knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining retrospective opinions on functional loss during flare-ups of pain.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in fulfilling its duty to assist, and a need for further medical examination.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent, and he did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. He also did not qualify for TDIU prior to May 26, 2022, but his condition improved such that he now qualifies for TDIU from that date onwards.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since July 1, 2019. Prior to that date, he maintained substantial gainful employment as a contractor.