Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and missing service treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the period prior to June 9, 2022. The Board finds that his service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation and grants TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus and sleep apnea, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since November 1, 2016.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided do not comply with the remand instructions and thus, the claims for service connection are being remanded again.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to a need for updated VA treatment records and a new examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to failure to schedule VA examinations. The Veteran was scheduled for VA examinations in March 2022, but refused them and they were cancelled. The Veteran requested rescheduling, which was granted, but he did not attend the rescheduled examinations.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's right ankle and left knee disabilities due to a withdrawal of appeal by the appellant.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted on an extraschedular basis from August 1, 2012, to June 6, 2021, due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Right Knee Disorder, finding that there was no in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left knee disabilities due to incomplete military personnel records, inadequate medical opinion from January 2018, and conflicting reports about the in-service injury. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, fibromyalgia, and hypothyroidism conditions. The issues of service connection for a right knee condition are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need to determine her military service dates.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was granted service connection. The right and left knee disabilities are remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's knee and hip conditions and his service, as well as the potential role of obesity in exacerbating these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that a separate rating of 10 percent is warranted for left knee instability, but the main issues are related to his left knee osteoarthritis and meniscal tear.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his left knee symptoms and continuity of symptomatology. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to determine if his current left knee disability is related to service.

The Veteran's left knee instability, gastrointestinal disability (Barrett's esophagus and GERD), and heart disability (PSVT, cardiac arrhythmia, paroxysmal ventricular arrhythmia) are all granted. The case is remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete notification of a previous rating decision, need for additional medical opinions regarding hypertension and bilateral knee disability, and need for SSA records.

The Veteran's PTSD is denied a rating in excess of 50 percent. Ratings for left and right knee conditions are granted, but not in excess of the current assigned ratings. Service connection is established for headaches, residuals from carpal tunnel release on the right wrist, and right wrist scar.