Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for an increased rating for her left knee condition and service connection for right foot metatarsalgia and hallux rigidus have been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of these appeals.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for a right knee condition due to deficiencies in the prior decision and lack of retrospective opinions on functional impairment during specific time periods.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for her service-connected left knee strain is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for further examination. The examiner must reconcile previous and current diagnoses, assess range of motion with pain, and determine if there is instability.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of non-VA medical expenses incurred from March 12, 2007, to May 5, 2007, related to his left knee surgery is denied because he did not seek or receive VA authorization for the services.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU from June 9, 2009, finding that his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee patellofemoral arthritis is being remanded due to the failure to provide proper notice of an examination scheduled by VA.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been reopened, and both conditions are now granted. The appeal is also granted for the evaluation of left shoulder tendonitis and left clavicle spur, lumbar spondylosis and osteophytosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), uterine fibroids, migraines, hypertension, residual scar from ventral hernia repair, anxiety, memory loss, sleep disturbances, knee disorder, and fibromyalgia. The appeal is remanded for further evaluations and determinations on these issues.

The Board has determined that new and significant evidence has been added to the claims file since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) issued in June 2019. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities may affect his ability to work, which is considered part of the TDIU claim. Therefore, all issues are remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that there is relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions had their onset during his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and iliotibial band friction syndrome of the right knee, finding that both conditions are at least as likely as not related to active duty.,Service connection was denied for an acquired psychiatric disability due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at 40 percent effective April 30, 2019. The claim of service connection for a heart disorder has been reopened and granted due to new evidence indicating potential inservice onset. Service connection for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and acquired psychiatric disorders are all granted on a presumptive basis.,The Veteran's right knee, left knee, left shoulder, left hand, and left wrist disorders have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew her claims at the November 2021 Board hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and providing an addendum opinion by a VA examiner regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea. The rating for left knee instability remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an opinion regarding the Veteran's left knee disability, including whether it is related to service or a workplace injury in 2008.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for further development due to inadequate prior examinations and failure to provide estimates of range of motion loss during flare-ups.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including internal derangement with osteoarthritis and posttraumatic arthritis, was rated at 10 percent prior to February 15, 2021. Since August 1, 2021, the Veteran has been rated at 60 percent for chronic residuals of a left knee replacement surgery. The appeal is denied as there is no evidence supporting a higher rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a right knee disability, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar strain, right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right and left ankle strains due to inconsistencies in the May 2019 VA examination reports regarding flare-ups and range of motion loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for left knee degenerative changes and failure to address left knee instability.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD and denied service connection for all other conditions, including lung disability, upper extremity disorders, lower extremity peripheral neuropathies, kidney stones, benign prostate hypertrophy, low back disorder, hip disorders, and knee disorders. The Veteran's claims are based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.