Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and left ankle disability due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for limitation of flexion of the left knee with traumatic arthritis was denied. However, he received a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability. The decision upholds these ratings.

The Board found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for service connection, thus denying reopening of these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from March 4, 2017 to December 14, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee and left knee arthritis, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated by her active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for a spine disability and left knee disability due to insufficient evidence from recent examinations. Additional medical records, including those from Social Security Administration (SSA), are needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and right knee disability, finding that additional medical opinions are needed to address whether these conditions are related to her service-connected left knee disability or if they had their onset during active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral wrist disability and right knee disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset in service. The Veteran is required to undergo an examination to determine if he currently has a bilateral wrist disability, including osteoarthritis of the wrists, and whether his current right knee disability is related to falls aboard the ship during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to ambiguities in the VA examiner's reports regarding the Veteran's right knee disability, specifically related to range of motion and functional loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings on all issues due to untimely filing of substantive appeals.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and bilateral foot conditions, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disorder is secondary to his service-connected lumbar sprain, bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and left hip bursitis. The examiner must provide a new opinion addressing proximate causation and aggravation for each of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral foot disabilities due to lack of compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and she is granted TDIU. The Veteran also meets the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee osteoarthritis as they require additional development, specifically obtaining VA examinations that include instructions to address any additional loss of range of motion during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability. The examiner must address the March 1978 VA examination, the Veteran's recent left knee replacement surgery, and whether this is indicative of a chronic left knee disability since his service.

The Board has determined that the reductions in ratings for right and left knee instability were improper, and has restored the original 20 percent ratings effective March 3, 2018. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings remain pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, left ankle, and right knee disabilities due to lack of current diagnoses and failure to report for necessary VA examinations.

The Veteran's left knee disability was granted an initial 10 percent rating prior to October 3, 2022. From that date onwards, the Veteran is entitled to a higher rating but not in excess of 10 percent. The Veteran's left ankle disability has been rated as 10 percent disabling throughout the appeal period.

The Board has restored the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome with arthritis rating from 10% to 20%. The reduction was found to be improper due to a lack of evidence showing actual improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.