Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is related to service, and he should be afforded a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of his left knee, coccyx injury, right foot disability, left foot disability, and adjustment disorder with depressed mood and insomnia due to new evidence or further examination.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for headaches was granted. The appeal as to TBI and PTSD issues is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to an error in docketing his appeal under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The Veteran must now file a Statement of the Case and submit a VA Form 9 if he wishes to continue with his appeals.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether any diagnosed right knee condition pre-existed service and was not aggravated by it.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left wrist and left knee disabilities. The VA will need to provide new examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment from July 25, 2011 to October 3, 2018. The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether he was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as secondary to her service-connected right knee disability. A rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee instability and a TDIU prior to April 30, 2020 are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral knees and back are being remanded due to the need to obtain Reserve service records, which may assist in substantiating these claims. The AOJ also granted additional service connection for left knee limitation of extension, right knee limitation of extension, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has decided to remand multiple claims for increased disability ratings for the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate examination and missing information.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including a new VA examination and additional information regarding TDIU. The reduction of disability evaluations for service-connected right and left knee strains is considered void ab initio.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability and other musculoskeletal conditions.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for the left knee disability with painful limitation of flexion is denied. The current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, vertigo, bilateral knee weakness, and bilateral lower extremity blood vessel aneurisms are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The claim for initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not manifested functional impairment equivalent to a compensable rating at any time during the appeal period.,The Veteran's left knee disability has not manifested functional impairment equivalent to flexion limited to 30 degrees or any other impairment to warrant higher or separate ratings during the appeal period.,The Veteran's right knee disability has not manifested functional impairment equivalent to flexion limited to 30 degrees or any other impairment to warrant higher or separate ratings during the appeal period.

The Veteran's TDIU claim from October 6, 2009, to December 26, 2012, is granted. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable.

The Veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome were found to not warrant ratings in excess of the current 10 percent, as their symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right shoulder disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran contends that his current conditions are related to his service-connected left ankle disability or service, respectively.

The Board has granted service connection for kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine. Service connection is remanded for left knee disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current knee conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is at least as likely as not related to in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.