Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to inadequate medical examination and missing treatment records. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee strain with osteoarthritis (limitation of flexion), limitation of extension, and instability due to incomplete medical records. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for her right shoulder tendonitis, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to lack of a VA examination addressing current functional loss. The effective date claims are also being remanded as they have not been considered by the AOJ.

The Board denied increased ratings for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee instability prior to October 14, 2019, and left shoulder impingement syndrome.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as service connected, with no new or material evidence received to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting SMC at the L level.

The Veteran's surgeries for knee disabilities are deemed service-connected, and a temporary total disability rating is granted.

The TDIU claim is remanded due to incomplete employment information and the need for further development regarding the Veteran's post-service employment history, addresses of former employers, and Social Security Administration records.

The Board has denied service connection for hammertoes, bilateral shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right hand disability (trigger finger) as they are not related to service. The case is remanded for further examination regarding the Appellant's hearing loss, hernia, and plantar fasciitis.,Further development is needed to determine if the Appellant's current hernia is related to his in-service complaints of groin pain.

The Veteran's appeals for the issues of entitlement to service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and right knee are dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims for a new examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's right knee conditions throughout the period on appeal.

For the period from January 2, 2014 to August 24, 2020, the Veteran was granted TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. Beginning August 25, 2020, the Veteran's TDIU is no longer applicable as he has a 100% disability rating for persistent depressive disorder and receives SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the current assigned ratings adequately reflect the severity of the Veteran's conditions.

The appeals for hearing loss, arthritis, and Parkinson's disease have been dismissed due to the appellant's death. The appeal seeking an earlier effective date for service connection has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus has been withdrawn.,The Board is remanding the issues of service connection for cervical spine disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depressive disorder, chronic anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), type II diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for low back disability is also being remanded.

The Board denied increased ratings for residuals of removal of semilunar cartilage and instability of the right knee, finding that current symptoms do not warrant a higher rating based on flexion or extension limitations.

The Veteran's service-connected patellofemoral pain syndrome and instability of the right and left knees are being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess current severity.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for her right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been dismissed as she has withdrawn the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder claim is also remanded for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied. Service connection for bilateral knee strain and shoulder impingement syndrome as part of service-connected CRPD were granted.