Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee and left ankle disabilities, as these conditions are alleged to be secondary to a service-connected lumbar strain. The VA will obtain new medical opinions addressing whether these disabilities were caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending, and the issue of recognizing his spouse as a dependent is remanded due to its inextricability with these other claims.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various disabilities and a rating increase, as additional VA clinical documentation was recently added to the record.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by severe instability and noncompensable loss in range of motion on flexion, is granted a 30 percent rating effective April 29, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee conditions and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a cardiac condition are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and clarification of diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain, residuals of medial and lateral meniscal tears in the right knee, and asthma, all determined to be related to events during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, bilateral knee disability, chronic pancreatitis, back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression).

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease, left knee problems, peptic ulcer disease (claimed as stomach ulcers), and gastroduodenitis condition. Therefore, the claims remain denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU from September 6, 2016.

The Veteran's left knee strain, erectile dysfunction, and lumbosacral strain have been granted service connection.,A disability rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain has been assigned.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding secondary service connection and the onset of his psychiatric disorders. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of right and left hip and knee disabilities. The appeals are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and right hip disabilities due to insufficient examination findings regarding pre-service conditions and potential aggravation by service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disorder (allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis), headache disability, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral shoulder disability, and bilateral knee disability are all granted as service-connected due to exposure to burn pits during his deployment in Southwest Asia. Effective dates will be determined based on the date of receipt of claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of her service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for sinus disability, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's left eye swelling (scar from cyst) is remanded due to the need for an examination.,Service connection for residuals of a right chest cyst surgery is also remanded as there was no clarification on whether it occurred on the left or right chest during service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, including arthritis. The issues of TDIU and DEA eligibility prior to September 18, 2013 are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board finds that her current diagnosis of sleep apnea is related to her service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia has been remanded as there is insufficient medical opinion regarding its onset in service or relation to service exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis in both knees, and the Veteran's current disabilities are rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.