Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disorders, including as secondary to his service-connected multilevel spondylitis changes and/or left foot hallux rigidus. The issues are related to whether these conditions were incurred in or caused by his military service.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 29, 2018. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU from March 29, 2018 was dismissed as moot.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate VA examination reports and failure to comply with previous remand instructions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequacy of a previous VA examination, and ordered a new one.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in docketing, and the Veteran's appeal is dismissed. The AOJ must issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for recurrent patellar dislocation, to include instability, right knee.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration due to newly associated VA medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches and restless leg syndrome, have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration of environmental exposures.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee chondromalacia, finding that there was no current diagnosis of this condition and no evidence of its occurrence during service. The decision also noted that the Veteran had not presented any competent evidence demonstrating functional impairment affecting his earning capacity.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his right knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for his patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative arthritis or instability, and denied TDIU prior to September 2, 2016.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings, increased evaluations, and a compensable evaluation for his left knee surgical scar are dismissed as the Veteran withdrew these issues by opting-in to the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA) system.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU related to his bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to procedural issues. The AOJ must issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) and review the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for cervical spine arthritis, left knee limitation of flexion, and left knee limitation of extension have been dismissed. The appeal for service connection for a right knee disability has also been dismissed.,Service connection for GERD is granted as the Veteran's current diagnosis aligns with her reported onset in service. Service connection for lower back disability is granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct or secondary service connection. The medical opinions provided are against the Veteran's claim.

The Veteran's request to restore a 10 percent rating for hemorrhoids with hematochezia effective August 2, 2018 is granted. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for major depressive disorder and right knee strain are dismissed.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations regarding her service-connected right knee patellofemoral syndrome and left foot pes planus.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current right knee disorder that had onset in or within one year of discharge from service and is not otherwise etiologically related to his active duty service. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding insomnia.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability was denied. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent disabling from December 4, 2019, and granted total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development regarding the Veteran's ability to work due to his service-connected disabilities, particularly ischemic heart disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disabilities and shell fragment wounds have worsened since their last VA examination in October 2017. The case is being remanded to schedule new examinations for assessing the current severity of these conditions.