Knee decisions — 2022

Service connection is granted for right ankle degenerative changes status post syndesmosis injury with open reduction and internal fixation, effective December 10, 2014.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability (asthma), low back disability, penile disability, and testicular disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's back, left knee, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy conditions are under review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee gout with patellofemoral chondromalacia are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration due to incomplete opinions provided by VA examiners.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that her current right knee disabilities were not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The Board also found no causal relationship between any current right knee disability and service.

The Board has determined that the development conducted does not comply with the October 2017 Board remand. The Veteran's last known mailing address and phone number have been updated, and VA examinations are scheduled for various disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee surgery residuals are rated at 10 percent, and a separate 10 percent rating is granted for right leg shin splints as of October 6, 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability manifested by pain, left knee degenerative changes, lumbar spondylosis and multilevel discogenic disease, cold injury residuals of the upper extremities (right and left), and cold injury residuals of the lower extremities (right and left).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus claims have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes.,Service connection for tinnitus has also been denied due to lack of in-service or post-service diagnosis, and the absence of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development, specifically verifying the Veteran's exact periods of Active Guard and Reserve (ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA).

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to comply with prior remand directives, and a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's right and left knee disorders are related to military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has found that additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as it is unclear whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions alone are sufficient for a TDIU. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities, finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of right and left knee disabilities due to conflicting opinions on whether these conditions are related to service or a service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disabilities, and lumbar spine disability are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

A 20 percent rating for residuals of a left knee injury with chondromalacia is granted effective November 4, 2009.,A 20 percent rating for left knee instability is granted. The Veteran's left knee instability is manifested by moderate instability.,The Veteran's claim for entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability prior to September 23, 2013 is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was rated at a 10 percent prior to July 18, 2018 and granted a 30 percent rating from that date.,The Veteran's right knee disability was remanded for additional development as there were outstanding non-VA treatment records not in the file.,The Veteran's Meniere's disease with chronic suppurative otitis media was remanded to determine if tinnitus should be considered a symptom and whether it warranted a separate rating prior to August 7, 2020.,The Veteran's alopecia with scarring was remanded for an addendum opinion on whether the condition is more appropriately characterized as discoid lupus erythematous.

The Veteran's right knee instability is granted with a separate 10 percent rating prior to March 15, 2016. The claim for increased ratings for chondromalacia and limitation of motion are denied.