Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claim for TDIU due to the service-connected left knee disability, as the RO is still in the process of obtaining information from the Veteran and his former employer.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including anxiety, depression, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, upper and lower back spasms, right knee disability, left knee disability, and left foot disability. The reasons include a lack of service treatment records from the relevant periods.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical examinations and failure to comply with VA's duty to assist.

The Veteran's tinnitus disability is granted service connection. The left knee disability issue is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's right and left knee braces caused wear and tear on his clothing, specifically jeans or pants. The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise concerning this issue and granted an annual VA clothing allowance for 2015.

The Veteran's hypertension was not shown during service and is not related to his military service.,No chronic back disability was found during service. The Veteran has current symptoms, but no evidence of a chronic condition in service.,There is no evidence of a right eye disability during service or any connection between the Veteran's current eye problems and service.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosed bilateral knee condition that can be linked to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence to determine if the Veteran's left knee disability is related to his active service or service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities. The Veteran will need a VA examination and additional records from private providers.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to outstanding employment and private medical records, as well as SSA disability records. The Veteran is advised to cooperate in providing these records.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's left knee disability is being reviewed for direct service connection, secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the STRs do not show any treatment or complaints related to this condition.,Service connection for myocardial infarction is denied because there is no indication that it occurred during active duty, reserve duty, or within one year post-service. The Veteran's STRs are silent on heart problems, and his current diagnosis of a myocardial infarction is not linked to service.,The claim for service connection for PTSD is denied as the Veteran did not have any in-service stressors that were verified by VA and there is no evidence linking his current psychiatric condition to service. The STRs do not show any treatment or diagnoses related to a psychiatric disability.,Service connection for hypertension is denied because there is no indication of hypertension during active duty, and post-service records are negative for this condition. There is also no link between the Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension and his military service.,The claim for low back disability is remanded as the VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's STRs showing a motor vehicle accident in service that resulted in back pain, nor did they perform any diagnostic testing.,Service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is denied because there are no STRs indicating treatment or complaints related to this condition during active duty. The VA examiner also noted the absence of contemporaneous medical records showing evaluation or treatment for the claimed conditions.,Service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is denied for similar reasons as right knee, with no STRs indicating treatment or complaints related to this condition during active duty and no diagnostic testing performed by the VA examiner.

The appeal for service connection on all claimed conditions has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's right foot plantar fasciitis and left knee degenerative arthritis have been granted service connection. The case of recurrent multi joint and muscle disability (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome) is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence in the record, including a lack of post-service treatment history. The Veteran is also asked to provide private medical records from Middle Georgia Orthopedics and any other relevant providers.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for cataracts has been dismissed. Service connection for hemorrhoids, PTSD, and various other disabilities have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and an updated examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating prior to May 1, 2018 and from July 1, 2019 for his right total knee replacement was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of the current 20 percent and 30 percent ratings.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral ankle and knee disabilities due to additional evidentiary development being required.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, including whether there are any ankylosis, dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion into the joint, malunion or nonunion of the tibia and fibula, recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, sprain, incomplete ligament tear, complete ligament tear causing persistent instability, patellar instability involving the patellofemoral complex with recurrent instability after surgical repair that has required a prescription from a medical provider for a brace, cane, and/or walker, and additional functional impairment due to pain, excess fatigability, incoordination, and weakness. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, headaches, a sleep disorder, and an alcohol abuse disorder have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (unspecified stress disorder) has been granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right knee conditions due to new evidence submitted since the last denial. The claims are now remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.