Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating for his lumbar spine disability was not granted, and he did not receive a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss. Service connection was granted for left ear hearing loss but not for cervical or bilateral knee disorders.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new evidence and need for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of current medical records and an incomplete military record. The Veteran is requested to provide any outstanding VA or private medical records, including those from his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders.,Service connection is also remanded for a left elbow disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee strain due to insufficient examination findings. Additional development is needed, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The application to reopen the claim of service connection for a back disability is granted.,The application to reopen the claim of service connection for a left knee disability is granted. The claim for entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability is granted.

The Board has found that the Veteran's increased rating claims for her bilateral knee disabilities must be remanded due to a lack of recent VA examination. The case is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for his increased rating claim and earlier effective date claims. The Board finds that a Remand is necessary to further develop the service connection claims on appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service records and VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and to address the issue of entitlement to a TDIU due solely to the Veteran's knee disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate evaluations of his lumbar spine and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, knee, and ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded both claims of service connection for right and left knee disorders due to the need for additional development, including addendum opinions from a qualified examiner.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee osteoarthritis is being remanded due to the need for consideration of additional VA treatment records and a January 2021 VA examination.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.,The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia and left knee chondromalacia are both remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination addressing their etiology and aggravation by service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a right leg disorder and a right knee disorder due to insufficient medical evidence provided by the VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient compliance with previous directives and the need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's right knee and low back disorders are still in dispute.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee postoperative residuals and a rating in excess of 20 percent for left ankle residuals due to inconsistencies in the evidence regarding flare-ups and functional loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities are not related to his service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee internal derangement is rated at a 30 percent disability rating effective July 14, 2020. The VA has granted an increased rating for the condition based on significant subluxation or lateral instability.