Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has identified new evidence added to the claims file since the September 2020 Supplemental Statement of the Case and has ordered that it be reviewed by the AOJ before readjudicating your claims.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his back disability, were granted initial ratings of 10 percent. The Veteran's sciatic nerve radiculopathies and femoral nerve radiculopathies were denied higher initial ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of current hearing loss for VA purposes.,The right ear condition, hypoglycemia, and earlier effective date for hypertension claims have been withdrawn by the appellant (or his authorized representative).,The right arm/wrist condition was granted by a previous rating decision. The appeal for this issue is dismissed as moot.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hypertension has been remanded due to lack of VA examination.,The claims for service connection for right knee disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, skin condition (claimed as dermatitis and/or eczema), left hip condition, right shoulder condition, and right hip condition are all remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee disability and polymyalgia due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claim will be further evaluated with additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's right knee and cervical spine disabilities, as well as a need for an examination to determine the current severity of his left inguinal hernia.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran's MOS as a mechanic is cited as a potential factor.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of epididymitis and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The remaining issues are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right hip condition, bilateral foot condition, and right knee condition due to lack of medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee and shoulder conditions due to insufficient development of evidence, including inadequate opinions from VA examiners. The issues are currently pending further review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as incomplete or inadequate examination reports. The issues include service connection for various upper extremity neurological disorders, a right shoulder disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, breast reduction, and a cervical disorder (claimed as cancerous tissue).

The Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, sinusitis, respiratory disability, restless leg syndrome, right wrist and knee disabilities, cardiac disability, lumbar spine disability, fibromyalgia, hand tremors, headache, fatigue, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions due to lack of current diagnoses or causal links.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance for a left knee brace in 2018 should be remanded to allow the AOJ to consider additional evidence, including a September 2017 VA treatment record indicating a new knee brace.

The Veteran's left knee disability, which includes posterolateral ligament reconstruction and osteoarthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board found that the current evaluation does not meet the criteria for an increased rating as there are no findings of actual or functional flexion limited to 15 degrees or less; actual or functional extension limited to 10 degrees or greater; a meniscus condition or removal of semilunar cartilage; ankylosis; or genu recurvatum.

The appeal for service connection of bilateral pes planus is granted. The appeal for service connection of a right knee condition is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen her claims for service connection for right knee disability, PTSD, sleep apnea, and GERD. The claims are now considered de novo.

The Veteran's left knee instability and chondromalacia have been rated at 10 percent each, but no more. The Board denied higher ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to incomplete VA examinations and insufficient information regarding the severity of the Veteran's conditions during the relevant time periods.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left and right knee disabilities are dismissed because service connection has been granted. The claims for left wrist, low back, and left foot disabilities remain denied.