Knee decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service.

Your initial claim for a compensable disability rating for left knee scars has been denied, and the appeal is dismissed as you have withdrawn your appeal.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for status post total right knee replacement as secondary to his service-connected internal derangement of left knee, status post revised total knee replacement.

The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, and the appellant is entitled to attorney fees in full amount of 20 percent of past-due benefits awarded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions due to a lack of current diagnosed disabilities, as evidenced by normal patella findings in medical records.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding no in-service disease or injury of the knees and insufficient evidence to establish a link between current disability and active service.

The Veteran's bilateral flat feet, right knee status post meniscus tear, and thoracolumbar spine disc herniation were not service connected as they did not have their onset during or within one year after service. The Board found no evidence of aggravation of the pre-existing conditions during service.

The Board has restored a 60 percent disability evaluation for service-connected left knee arthroplasty, effective January 1, 2022. The evidence did not show actual improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and direct service connection for hypertension, finding new relevant evidence to readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss for VA purposes.,Left ear hearing loss is granted as the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether it had its onset during service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The right knee and left foot disabilities are remanded for further examination, and the chronic heart disability is also remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD claim has been granted with a 70% rating effective November 4, 2016. The Board has remanded the remaining service connection claims for further development.

The Veteran's right knee disorder, lower gastrointestinal disorder, and related shoulder disorders are being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for additional medical opinions. The lumbar spine disorder is also being remanded as it involves a secondary service connection claim.

The Veteran's left knee medial collateral ligament tear is not manifest by arthritis resulting in occasional incapacitating exacerbations, flexion limited to 30 degrees, or extension limited to 15 degrees. As such, the claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for this condition from July 3, 2014 to June 11, 2015 is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and left knee disability due to inadequate reasoning in the VA examination reports. The examiner is instructed to provide a fully reasoned opinion addressing the Veteran's service connection claims based on his competent statements regarding in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's disabilities, as well as whether any additional disability was proximately caused by VA care. The Veteran is entitled to further development.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetic neuropathy was dismissed as the Appellant indicated she wanted to withdraw her appeal. The other issues on appeal are being remanded due to new evidence and previous instructions.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar muscle strain with muscle spasm and left knee chondromalacia, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions had their onset during active service.

The Board denied service connection for small vessel ischemic disease, seizure disorder, lipoma of the lumbar spine, right knee condition, acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD, somatoform disorder, and major depressive disorder), and gastroenteritis. The Veteran's conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) and bilateral knee pain have been reopened. The claim for increased rating over 30 percent for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is remanded, as well as the reopened claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (reopened).