Knee decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for right trigger thumb disability, left trigger thumb disability, residuals of a right ankle injury, residuals of a right knee injury, sleep apnea, and bilateral flat foot disability have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,These issues are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for left knee meniscal tears effective August 26, 2014. The Veteran's other claims for increased ratings were denied.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted service connection, and his right ankle degenerative joint disease and left ankle strain are granted a 20 percent rating. The initial evaluation for left knee degenerative joint disease remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and additional medical opinions regarding his sleep apnea, tinnitus, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and nonservice-connected pension.

The Board has determined that additional medical examination and opinion are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disabilities and service connection for his bilateral hip disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination reports and a need for further evaluation of the Veteran's left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions due to technical issues at a personal hearing and VA's duty to provide examinations in response to the Veteran's exposure claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities, particularly those related to secondary service connection.

The Board has denied initial ratings higher than 10 percent for right and left knee instability since July 26, 2016. The evidence does not support a finding of moderate recurrent subluxation or lateral instability in either knee.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left ankle disorders, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The Board also found that the Veteran's current disabilities are not due to his military service.,For TDIU, the Board determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria as he has only noncompensable service-connected disabilities (tinea pedis and tinea unguium) and is unable to work due to non-service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits is denied as there was no pending claim prior to August 24, 2017, and the evidence does not show a factually ascertainable increase in service-connected disabilities during the one-year look-back period.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability caused or aggravated his left knee, left ankle, and lumbar spine disabilities. The examiner is to consider obesity as a potential intermediate factor.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his left knee disability and migraine/headaches has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder and right shoulder strain, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 26, 2016. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual employability from this date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that she is currently employed and unable to secure or maintain full-time, competitive employment as a result of her service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip and left hip osteoarthritis as secondary to service-connected knee disabilities. The case is REMANDED for further development regarding the Veteran's neck disability and headaches.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for his low back disability, right knee disability, and sinusitis as he withdrew these claims through his authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to address certain issues.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, cervical spine disability, and sleep apnea (secondary to service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine).,Service connection is also remanded for left upper extremity numbness and a left shoulder disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his right hip and right knee conditions, as he failed to attend scheduled VA examinations.