Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's right knee disabilities due to incomplete information and need for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate reasons and bases in the previous decision, as the examination did not comply with previous Board remand requests.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a lack of consideration of additional National Guard service and conflicting opinions from VA examiners. The Veteran is to be afforded new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral knee disabilities, including patellofemoral syndrome, and left ankle disability.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes. The evidence shows painful limitation of motion without ankylosis or other disabling conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition have been denied with no assigned rating.,An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the lumbar spine condition is not granted prior to September 17, 2018.

The Veteran's right knee DJD and TKR residuals are currently rated at 30 percent, which is the minimum rating assigned. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for severe painful motion or weakness.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that his range of motion was limited to 55 degrees flexion and zero degrees extension without ankylosis or other severe impairment.

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's employment and income.

The Board has granted service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and moderate right knee instability, but denied service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ankle and bilateral knee conditions. The claim for blood clots was withdrawn by the Veteran. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hallux valgus and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee chondromalacia status post arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy with scar was denied. The claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder was also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate development and reasoning in a previous VA addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected left knee condition caused or aggravated his left shoulder condition.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for left knee, right knee, bilateral tinea pedis, and bilateral foot disorders due to incomplete medical records and insufficient etiology opinions. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reviewed with additional evidence and expert opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine and knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's current conditions are not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest within a presumptive period, and were not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for bilateral foot numbness and bilateral knee disorder. However, both issues are remanded due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between current disabilities and military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, including as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus, and for an effective date earlier than April 27, 2015, for the grant of service connection for bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's attorney asserts CUE in prior rating decisions.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided do not address whether the Veteran's left shoulder, left knee, and left arm disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability. Therefore, the case is being remanded to obtain an adequate opinion addressing this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a lack of evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Korea, which may affect the outcome of these cases.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus and right knee strain have been granted service connection. However, the issues of left foot pes planus, right knee strain, and left knee strain as secondary to a right knee strain are being remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee severe osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active military service.