Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions due to insufficient medical opinions addressing continuity of symptomatology from service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee degenerative arthritis, as well as a claim for total disability due to individual unemployability based upon service-connected disorders prior to July 27, 2021, have all been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left knee conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for residuals of a left eye injury is denied as there is no evidence of an identified disability.,The Veteran's claim for a sleep disorder is denied as the condition was not diagnosed until after service, and there is no chronicity of symptoms from service.,The Veteran's claim for a left shoulder disability is denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment.,Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board finds that his current psychiatric condition is secondary to his service-connected disabilities.,Prior to July 20, 2020, the Veteran's left ankle strain was manifested by moderate limited motion and a rating of 10% was assigned.,From July 20, 2020, the Veteran's right knee strain is rated at 10%, but no higher.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition, bilateral hip conditions, and a back condition as secondary to his service-connected left knee condition. The VA examiners provided negative nexus opinions regarding these claims.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral foot disability, back disability, left knee disability, upper thigh disability, skin disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed before a decision can be made on these claims.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation prior to February 6, 2019 was denied. However, the Board granted a 20 percent evaluation from that date onwards.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his cervical spine and knee injuries, are found to have contributed substantially or materially to cause the Veteran's death. As a result, DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death are granted.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine and bilateral knee disorders, as well as bilateral hearing loss due to the need for further medical evaluation and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to inadequate examination findings. The case is now before the Board for further review.

The Board has found that a new VA examination is needed due to the lack of recent range-of-motion measurements for the Veteran's right knee. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has found that the VA did not substantially comply with its October 2020 remand directives and another remand is necessary due to a lack of clarity regarding whether the Veteran's May 2018 left knee surgery required convalescence.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disability and assigned a separate initial 20 percent rating, but no higher, for left knee instability. The Veteran's increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities are denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, initial compensable disability rating and a rating exceeding 10 percent from February 27, 2023, for residuals of a nose injury, to include rhinitis, and service connection for a neck injury and residuals thereof.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right knee is currently rated at 10 percent, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if a higher rating is warranted due to increased symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for a back injury, right knee condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for a compensable rating for the right foot disability, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for back, knee, ankle, and left foot conditions due to new evidence received after the November 2019 statement of the case.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate consideration of the Federal Circuit's decision in Saunders v. Wilkie, which allows for disability determination based on pain alone if it causes functional impairment.

The Board has found that the claims for right knee, left knee, bilateral foot, indigestion (GERD and functional gastrointestinal disorder), and low back disabilities must be considered on their merits due to additional relevant service records being added after the initial denial. The case is remanded for further development.