Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for further evidentiary development due to the AOJ's failure to obtain private records from San Juan Capestrano Hospital. The SSOC was not provided to the Appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee disorders due to insufficient evaluation of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his knee conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder and knee conditions, caused him to need regular aid and attendance. The Board granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment since September 28, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with recurrent subluxation were denied due to his failure to report for a necessary VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's lay observations of knee pain during and after service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve involvement) as secondary to a service-connected degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine. The issues regarding neck/cervical spine disability and right knee disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to determine the severity of the Veteran's right knee instability and arthritis throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right knee disability and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating beyond 30 percent, as there were no chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness in the right knee.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluation of lumbar spine disability, service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, and bilateral hearing loss disability have been withdrawn. The appeal for service connection for arthralgia, bilateral knees has been reopened and granted to limited extent due to new evidence received since the July 2007 denial.

The Veteran's right knee disability status post total knee replacement is granted as service connection. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss, cervical/lumbar spine disability, hypertension (HTN), and abnormal heart rate are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam under the PACT Act. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and colon cancer are remanded as they do not meet the criteria for service connection based on the PACT Act.

Service connection for hypertension is granted due to the PACT Act. Service connection for bilateral knee disorder and left hip disorder is denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or continuity of symptomatology. Service connection for post-herpetic neuralgia is denied based on lack of medical diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of left and right knee disorders, finding that new evidence raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Veteran's knee conditions are currently being evaluated to determine their relationship to his service-connected foot hallux valgus disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left hip and knee disorders due to inadequate medical opinions and a need for further examination.

The Board has denied service connection for neck, right arm, back, bilateral hip, right knee, and left ankle disorders as they are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that they do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders based on evidence showing these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has denied service connection for various hand, wrist, elbow, cervical spine, and knee conditions due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during active service or being related to an in-service injury, event, disease, or secondary to a service-connected disability.