Knee decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating of hemorrhoids and service connection claims for OSA and right knee disability are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome were denied, with the effective date set at November 29, 2005.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee instability as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability. The claim for an effective date prior to July 26, 2017, for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for obstructive sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and right knee disability due to additional evidentiary development.,The Veteran's service-connected joint pain disabilities may have contributed to his current sleep apnea and/or erectile dysfunction.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee patellar tendonitis, and left knee patellar tendonitis, limited extension as the Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee pain syndrome and right knee strain with painful motion prior to November 27, 2018, and for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for right knee pain syndrome and right knee strain with painful motion after November 27, 2018.

The Board has dismissed the appeals as to all service connection claims due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board denied service connection for connective tissue disability, arthritic disability (psoriatic arthritis), skin disability (psoriasis), and fibromyalgia as there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial increased rating for left and right knee disabilities, as well as left and right shoulder disabilities. Additionally, the TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee strain disability is related to service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, neck condition, upper extremity radiculopathy (RUE and LUE), back condition, lower extremity radiculopathy (RLE and LLE), right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, right foot condition, and left foot condition.,The Board found that the Veteran's claims for these conditions are inextricably intertwined with his neck condition and other related claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, combined, rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from June 17, 2019, to October 6, 2019. The appeal is remanded for additional development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the previously claimed conditions of bulging disc L5-L6, left knee injury, bilateral feet heel spurs, shoulder condition, and head trauma. The Board dismissed these appeals as withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to July 30, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, bilateral wrist, and bilateral knee disorders due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent for patellofemoral pain syndrome and a separate 10 percent rating for slight instability. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied.,A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability is granted, while the claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for patellofemoral pain syndrome remains denied.

The Veteran's anxiety and service connection for hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure) are granted. The restoration of evaluations for various knee conditions, including trochanteric bursitis and patellofemoral arthritis, is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment from April 11, 2014 to November 6, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to unclear records regarding when functional ankylosis began, inadequate VA examination reports, and the need for additional medical opinions on the etiology of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for additional VA treatment records.