Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee disorders due to inadequate examination in a previous decision. The Veteran is required to be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current knee conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen and reconsider the claims for bilateral knee disability is granted. The appeal to reopen and reconsider the claim for bilateral hip disability, as secondary to a service-connected bilateral foot or bilateral knee disability, is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found no new or material evidence to reopen these claims. The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but denied for all other conditions.

The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability has been withdrawn and is dismissed. The appeal to revise the July 1986 rating decision that denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, lumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records from the Mississippi Department of Human Service regarding disability benefits. The appeals for service connection for bilateral knee and back disabilities are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current knee strain and his service.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities for treatment purposes only under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 17 based on the Veteran's credible account of in-service events and current diagnoses.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for DJD of the right and left knees due to insufficient evidence regarding whether these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period from January 5, 2007, to February 28, 2007, is dismissed as moot due to the assignment of a combined 100 percent evaluation and SMC at the rate under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral total knee replacements and PTSD, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU have been met.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection claims. No specific rating or effective date was assigned.

The Board denied the reopening of claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and right foot disorders due to lack of new and material evidence relating these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to issues with previous examinations and because of the inextricably intertwined nature of the left knee disability claims and TDIU claim. The Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities are being examined again, and his entitlement to TDIU is being referred to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration.

The Veteran withdrew all his claims before the Board could make a decision, so the appeals are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, right knee and left knee disabilities, left hip disability, rhinitis, sinus headaches, loss of sense of smell, and loss of sense of taste. The remand requires obtaining private treatment records from Drs. L. and B., scheduling VA examinations to assess the Veteran's claimed conditions, and providing medical opinions on the relationship between service, including exposure to herbicide agents, and the Veteran's disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disability necessitated the use of left and right knee braces, which caused damage to her clothing. The Board granted a clothing allowance for this period.

The Veteran's left total knee arthroplasty is rated at 60 percent from February 1, 2021, to October 25, 2022. The rating in excess of 60 percent for the period on appeal prior to December 2, 2019, and for instability, flexion limitation, and extension limitation are denied.

The Veteran's right knee and left knee chondromalacia were not found to meet the criteria for a rating greater than 10 percent.,The Veteran's right shoulder disorder with post-operative residuals was not found to meet the criteria for a rating greater than 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of his claims for separate compensable ratings for his service-connected knee condition.