Knee decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and consideration of her claims, including those related to her right ankle disability, arthritis, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and TDIU.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for her right knee disability and loss of teeth, as well as her claim for TDIU, have been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration of new VA treatment records. The Veteran is to be provided a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) that includes these records.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for cervical strain and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with a previous remand directive, specifically regarding obtaining a retrospective medical opinion for the period from November 24, 2014 to January 24, 2018. The Veteran needs to be provided updated VA treatment records and a new retrospective medical examination.

The Veteran's right knee limitation of flexion and extension, as well as his low back disability, are not rated higher than the assigned percentages due to lack of evidence showing more severe impairment.

The Board has ordered additional development for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, including a new VA examination to assess their current severity. The issues of rating greater than 20 percent for the right knee and greater than 10 percent for the left knee are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his Gulf War-related conditions, including bilateral knee and shoulder issues, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, respiratory condition, GERD, bilateral hip conditions, and bilateral hand conditions. The Veteran is seeking service connection based on exposure to toxic substances in Southwest Asia during his military service.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal, resulting in the dismissal of all service connection claims for various knee and hip conditions as well as diverticulitis.

Your left knee limitation of extension is currently rated at 10 percent, effective December 30, 2016. The appeal for restoration of the rating has been dismissed as there is no remaining case or controversy.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and development are not sufficient to make a decision on the claims for increased ratings and effective dates. The Veteran's symptoms of flare-ups, cold weather impact, and right shoulder numbness need to be addressed in future examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches as secondary to the service-connected fibromyalgia, a skin disorder (tinea versicolor), and a bilateral knee disorder. The evidence supports these determinations based on continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to issues with scheduling a VA examination for determining whether a temporary total rating for convalescence is warranted. The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities are being considered, but not related to exposure to any specific agent or basis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right wrist and knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the current disability ratings adequately reflect the severity of the Veteran's conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding several rating issues, and as a result, the cases are dismissed.

An effective date of January 15, 2015, is granted for service connection of right ankle and right knee disabilities.,The Veteran's claim to reopen his skin disorder was denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for further development. The initial rating for right knee instability prior to May 9, 2018 is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The initial rating for limitation of extension of the right knee prior to May 9, 2018 and a rating for status post right knee replacement since July 1, 2019 are also denied. Service connection for neck, low back, left upper extremity, right upper extremity, and left lower/extremity conditions is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including chronic ear pain, sleep apnea, a rash, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, neck condition, back condition, bilateral knee condition, bilateral hand condition, bilateral hip condition, and bilateral wrist condition are all denied.,Service connection was not granted as the evidence does not support that any of these conditions began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from performing the physical and mental acts required for employment from April 1, 2015, to December 10, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The right foot disorder claim is reopened, but a new examination is needed to determine if it is related to service or secondary to other disabilities. Examinations are also required for the right hip, right knee, and left trapezius strain.