Knee decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional VA evidence, specifically surgical records from May 2021. The appeal will be reconsidered after these records are added to the claims file.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions due to additional evidence being added to his file. The AOJ is required to review this new evidence before making a decision.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 30 percent for left knee limitation of flexion prior to January 2, 2020.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right knee disability and a TDIU have been withdrawn from the Legacy appeals system due to his opt-in into the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) review system.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee disability as secondary to right knee degenerative joint disease, and back condition as secondary to right knee degenerative joint disease. The decision is based on medical evidence linking these conditions to his service-connected right knee injury.

The Board has decided that the claims for service connection for vertigo and right knee osteoarthritis need further evaluation due to insufficient opinions in the VA examination reports.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claims for further development, including obtaining a VA opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral shoulder, right hip, left hip, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to a withdrawal by the Veteran's representative in June 2021.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 29, 2015 for the right knee disability rating. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection on various issues have been remanded.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and remanded the issues of right knee disorder, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran's claim for PTSD was not supported by evidence of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee conditions have been remanded due to the need for a retrospective medical opinion regarding range of motion testing prior to July 7, 2017.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for knee and hip disorders, as secondary to service-connected chronic low back pain. The Veteran's right and left knees, as well as his right and left hips, are being examined again to determine if they were caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the appellant has a diagnosis of spina bifida, except spina bifida occulta. The appellant's conditions are similar to those of spina bifida and he believes doctors may have indicated such a diagnosis in the past.

The Veteran's left shoulder, right hip, and left knee disorders were not shown as chronic in service or within the applicable presumptive period. The disorders are not secondary to the service-connected disabilities.,Service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a respiratory disability, hypertension, and TDIU due to potential exposure to herbicide agents and lead paint during service. Additional development is needed to verify these exposures.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection as his claimed conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, right knee disability, left knee disability, and bilateral conjunctivitis due to incomplete or incorrect factual premises in the VA examination reports. Additional development is required including obtaining medical opinions and potentially scheduling additional examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee pain, finding that there is a current disability and an in-service event or injury related to the condition. The Board also found continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected plantar warts. However, the issue of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.