Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including reviewing additional evidence submitted by the Veteran. The issues of hip, knee, and foot disabilities significantly impact the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, but no higher. Bilateral knee instability and painful flexion of the knees are each granted separate 10 percent ratings.

The Veteran is granted an annual VA clothing allowance for the year 2018 due to use of a left knee brace. The Board found that service connection was in effect for a left knee disability during the 2018 calendar year and the Veteran's regular use of a left knee brace tended to wear out or tear his outer garments.,The Veteran is denied an annual VA clothing allowance for the year 2018 due to use of a back brace. The Board found that service connection was in effect for a back disability during the 2018 calendar year, but there was no evidence showing that the Veteran's Lumbar Sacral Orthosis (back brace) tended to wear out or tear his outer garments.

The Board has remanded the cases due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and insufficient retrospective opinions regarding the Veteran's left knee disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has found the VA examinations inadequate for adjudication purposes and has ordered remand for further examination and medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee and lower back conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his alleged wartime experiences in North Korea and Vietnam. The AOJ is instructed to take appropriate steps to verify these events.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU prior to June 3, 2021 are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the previous remand directives and a new examination is necessary to assess the current severity of the Veteran's right knee disability, including during flare-ups.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including limitation of flexion and symptomatic removal of meniscus prior to October 30, 2018, as well as his right knee total replacement since December 1, 2019, are granted with a rating of 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations, specifically regarding functional loss and flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to incomplete records, including physical therapy treatment records. The Veteran is also requested to provide a detailed employment history.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities. The claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, right hand, right arm, and left arm disabilities are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a current condition related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for torn Achilles tendon of the right heel, status post tear of the fibula collateral ligaments of the right ankle (claimed as torn Achilles of the right heel), and degenerative arthritis of the right foot due to lack of evidence of current disabilities or a causal relationship with service.,There is no credible evidence that the Veteran currently has any of these conditions. The Board found her reports of continuous symptoms since service were not credible, and there was no medical opinion linking her current disabilities to service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine DJD, right knee DJD, left knee DJD, left shoulder DJD, right foot pes planus, and left foot pes planus. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's right knee disability, headache disorder, and cold injury residuals are all found to be related to his service. The Veteran is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right knee disability may be related to his active duty service, but more evidence is needed to determine if it occurred during service or is otherwise connected.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain with patellar tendinitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of limitation of flexion limited to 30 degrees, which would warrant a higher rating. For his TDIU claim, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities (left knee, thoracolumbar spine, and psychiatric conditions) rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, resulting in a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected left knee disability did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot tinea pedis and left foot tinea pedis. Service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability is denied.