Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and a need for further development, including obtaining an examination to determine if the Veteran's current left and right knee disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his knee disabilities, including TKA, have been denied. The Board found that the lumbar spine disability was not caused by or related to any in-service injury or disease, nor were the left and right knee disabilities linked to it. The VA examinations did not find a nexus between the Veteran's current back pain and service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran was granted service connection for left knee, low back, and right hip disabilities. The effective date is not earlier than June 24, 2014.,Service connection was established for the Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral hips due to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the loss of use of both lower extremities, necessitating regular and constant use of assistive devices for locomotion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected patellofemoral joint syndrome of the knees as arthritis and instability, left knee. The RO is directed to obtain updated VA treatment records and schedule the Veteran for a new VA examination to assess the severity of her bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as left knee disability, due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's right knee disability is already service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's reported symptoms and treatment records.

The Board has found that there was only partial compliance with the directives of the July 2022 remand and therefore further remand is required. The matter is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the Veteran's right knee disability, an estimate of his range of motion during flare-ups, and completion of a VA Form 21-8940.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion and incomplete private treatment records.

The Veteran's right knee instability is granted a rating of 20 percent, effective from the date of the remand. Separate ratings for symptomatic residuals post-operative medial meniscectomy and scar residuals post-operative medial meniscotomy are also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 13, 2016.

The Veteran's right knee disability, rated at 30 percent since June 1, 2017, is denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also denied as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence, including range of motion testing in both active and passive motion and in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial ratings assigned for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.,The Veteran's appeal of the initial rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy, PTSD, TDIU prior to September 28, 2021, and SMC at the housebound rate under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) is also being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to an inadequate VA examination and opinion. The examiner concluded that the current knee disabilities are not related to active service, but the Board finds this conclusion based on incomplete records.

The Veteran's left knee disability resulted in chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion, and a rating of 60 percent for the entire period on appeal is granted. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right and left ankle disorders, right and left knee disorders, low back disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD) have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities meeting VA's regulatory definition of a hearing loss disability or any other qualifying chronic disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA medical records and a need for further development, including potential new examinations or opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination for left knee instability. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left knee instability is still pending.