Knee decisions — 2022

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left knee torn ACL including meniscus tear, left ankle disability, right wrist disability, tinnitus, and right knee disability. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and right hand tremors, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that caused current conditions.,There was no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current knee strains or hand tremors to her active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for right ankle arthralgia status post right ankle surgery was denied. The Board has remanded the case to address the issue of service connection for a left knee disorder.,A VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's left knee strain had its onset during service or is related to an injury during service, and if so, whether it has been aggravated by his right ankle disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disorder. The Veteran is presumed sound upon entry into service, and the VA examiner did not provide an adequate rationale for their conclusions.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of their service-connected pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, left knee disability, and right knee disability have been denied. The Veteran was granted a 50 percent evaluation prior to January 30, 2020 for their psychiatric disability.,From January 30, 2020 onwards, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating of their psychiatric disability has not met the criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive nephrosclerosis was not reopened, but his ratings for degenerative joint disease of the left hip and right knee arthritis were increased. The rating for internal derangement of the right knee with laxity remains unchanged.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for right knee tendonitis is dismissed.,Service connection for a brain disability is granted, with the benefit of doubt given in favor of the Veteran.,An initial 30 percent rating for GERD with chronic liver disease is granted for the entire period on appeal.,Prior to January 25, 2012, an initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches is granted. From December 26, 2017 and thereafter, a 50 percent rating is granted.,The Veteran's right knee scars are not painful, unstable, or have covered 144 square inches (929 sq. com.) or greater.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence and further development is required.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or chronic condition related to his current right knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) of the right and left knees have been remanded due to a need for further VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, left knee, and right knee disorders as secondary to status post residuals of left tibia fracture with surgical scars due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's hepatitis claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hepatitis.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his hearing loss began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's personality disorder and low sex drive claims are withdrawn by the appellant.,The Veteran's balance issue claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus claim is remanded as VA records need to be obtained and a medical opinion provided regarding its onset and relationship to service.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature with his diabetes mellitus claim.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation) claim is withdrawn by the appellant.,The Veteran's narcolepsy claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.,The Veteran's insomnia claim is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature with his back and left knee disability claims.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue claim is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature with his acquired psychiatric disability (depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation) claim.,The Veteran's back disability claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.,The Veteran's left knee disability claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for heart disability, right shoulder disability, bilateral wrist disabilities, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities due to unclear evidence regarding the nature of his conditions. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain private treatment records from Dr. D.G., and a new examination is required to determine the etiology of these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, left knee meniscal tear, and right knee meniscal tear due to service connection issues. The cases are being returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding medical questions and the need for additional examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and left knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active service or his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's right knee disability and associated depression are being remanded for further evaluation, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability and whether he has any psychiatric disabilities that may be related to his service-connected conditions. His TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's previously denied claims for sleep disability, anxiety, pes planus, left knee disability, right knee disability, and back disability are reopened. The appeals for these issues are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.