Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinion in a previous decision.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on his right shoulder, right knee, left knee, and Total Disability Rating Independent of Service Connection (TDIU) claims due to an error in filing process. The Veteran opted into the modernized system, effectively withdrawing his legacy appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period prior to October 5, 2011, finding that the weight of the evidence did not support his inability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine, bilateral knee, left shoulder, right ankle, and right ankle scar disabilities have been granted service connection.,Residuals from a head injury (including traumatic brain injury and headaches) and bilateral detached retinas are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted with new and material evidence. The issues of right knee disability, back disability, and acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, adjustment disorder, alcohol use disorder) are all now resolved in his favor.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for retinal detachment has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for left knee instability beginning November 7, 2019. Service connection is denied for LUE, RLE, and LLE neuropathy.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for right ankle Achilles tendonitis was denied as new and material evidence had not been received.,Service connection for COPD due to exposure at Camp Lejeune was denied, with the Board finding no current diagnosis of COPD in the record.,Service connection for pulmonary embolism claimed as coronary heart disease due to exposure at Camp Lejeune was also denied, with the Board noting a lack of current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disorder, hypertension, left knee DJD, and right knee DJD were remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for chronic maxillary sinusitis is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis are remanded for further development.

Service connection has been granted for a cervical spine disability, chronic fatigue, and left knee disability.,The claim for service connection of fibromyalgia is remanded due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Board found that the withholding of VA compensation benefits for 14 training days in FY 2015 was proper because the Veteran received concurrent pay and thus, the withholding did not violate her rights.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal and psychiatric disabilities were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain, DDD of the lumbar spine, right knee strain, and a left knee condition. The conditions are found to have started during service.

The Board has denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine due to lack of evidence linking it to active service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee, and right hand disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating, and TDIU as they are inextricably intertwined with her secondary service connection claim. The Veteran is to be scheduled for a VA examination to assess the severity of her right knee disabilities and an addendum opinion regarding her cervical strain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation beginning July 30, 2014. The Board granted TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and tinnitus, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board found that the criteria for a TDIU were met beginning April 2, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to an injury during active duty. The case will be further developed and a VA examination may be required.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of bilateral knee disorders, finding that further action is needed to determine if the Veteran's knee conditions are related to his service-connected right ankle disability or any periods of active duty training.

The Veteran's service connection claims for lateral epicondylitis of the right elbow, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis have been granted.,Service connection has also been granted for bilateral pes planus and an upper back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for respiratory disorders, low back disorder, and left knee disorder due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives. The claims are being returned for further development.