Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his back disability, bilateral knee disability, PTSD with agoraphobia, and hearing loss. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to service or preexisted service without aggravation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee total arthroplasties, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to her active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine, right knee, radiculopathy, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy disabilities due to inadequate examination opinions. The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is alleged as a potential cause.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various lower extremity disabilities due to incomplete development and lack of nexus opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, including COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and emphysema due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. The claims were remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted, and the issue of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is remanded due to incomplete STRs.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board denied initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee strains, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hammertoes, hallux valgus, intractable plantar keratosis (IPK), bilateral knee disorders, and unequal length of the right leg due to potential service connection issues.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder and diabetes mellitus type II, finding that the disorders were not incurred or related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations of his bilateral knee disabilities, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right knee disability may be service-connected as secondary to their left knee disability, but needs further clarification from a medical professional.

The Veteran's left knee strain is currently rated at 10 percent, effective May 6, 2014. The Board has found that the evidence does not support a higher rating for this condition.,Regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a compensable rating for left knee instability from May 26, 2015, further development is needed as the previous VA opinions did not address whether the Veteran's in-service duties are related to his current disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee instability is now rated at 20 percent, effective from February 7, 2021. The rating for his degenerative joint disease remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to deficiencies in previous examinations and issues related to service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board has granted a 50 percent evaluation for migraine headaches. The cases of reproductive disability, left elbow and left knee disabilities are remanded due to insufficient development.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right knee, bilateral ankle, left hip, and right hip disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for a low back disorder was granted. The claims for service connection for right ankle and TDIU were not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's left knee disability, specifically his total knee arthroplasty, is rated at 30 percent since May 1, 2012. The appeal for a higher rating has been denied. A TDIU was granted on an extraschedular basis from April 21, 2006 to March 20, 2011 and on a schedular basis from March 21, 2011.