Knee decisions — 2022

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that her current condition did not manifest in or is otherwise related to service and was not caused by her service-connected thoracic spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to incomplete medical opinions regarding flare-ups at earlier examinations. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disability was aggravated during service. The case will be reviewed again after obtaining a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, left foot and right foot peripheral neuropathy, bilateral knee peripheral neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during service. The RO is instructed to obtain deck logs from ships involved in the Veteran's service and confirm his presence at sea off the coast of Vietnam.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, finding that her current condition is related to her in-service symptoms and treatment.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for left hip and left knee disabilities, as well as service connection for right knee disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's right knee disability is being examined again to determine if it is aggravated by his service-connected left and right hip and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee derangement, right knee derangement, and chronic lumbar strain were denied. The claim for an increased rating for the Veteran's left lower extremity sciatica was granted with a 20% rating effective from January 17, 2020.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for initial compensable rating for right knee scars and increased rating for degenerative arthritis of the left knee due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, lumbar spine condition, and bilateral knee condition are remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain, based on limitation of motion, was denied. A separate 20 percent rating is granted for dislocated meniscus of the left knee from November 29, 2016. Service connection for a left leg disability other than the already service-connected left knee (claimed as blood clots) was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating and separate compensable rating for limitation of flexion of the right knee was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting a higher rating or a separate compensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral shoulder disability, and skin disability due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that led to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate consideration of the veteran's lay statements in a previous VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability is granted, but the case is remanded as an addendum opinion is needed to determine if his current condition is related to his military service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent for patella chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis. The Board has found the VA examinations from February, June, and November 2018 to be inadequate due to lack of goniometer use in range of motion testing. The appeal is remanded as there are issues regarding increased ratings for both knees.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The effective date of this grant is not specified as it was based on new evidence received after the original denial.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee conditions and for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The case is being returned to the RO for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling the Veteran for an examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right and left knee conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on arthritis, ankylosis, or instability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for a left knee disability during the period from August 20, 2012, to November 2, 2012, due to insufficient medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking the current conditions to service. The Veteran's in-service injuries were not found to have led to his current degenerative arthritis.