Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in December 2022 are inadequate and have ordered a new examination to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip and right knee conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate examination documentation.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for low back pain, left knee pain, and right knee strain due to incomplete compliance with prior remand instructions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for back disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are being remanded due to the need for medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disorders, PFB, jungle rot (skin disorder of the feet to include onychomycosis and tinea pedis/athlete's foot), and lichen simplex chronicus (left scalp skin disorder).,There is no credible evidence that any of these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining updated medical records and a retrospective opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability prior to October 1, 2018.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, and if so, whether this resulted in sleep apnea.

The Board dismissed all claims of service connection and rating appeals due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection, as well as the claim for a higher rating for right knee disability. The reasons include the need to clarify the Veteran's foreign service and obtain further VA medical examinations.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as he is currently working full-time and participating in training, with no evidence of his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected cervical spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to inadequate examinations and lack of information on flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for knee and back disabilities due to inadequate prior examinations. A new examination is needed to assess the current severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for TDIU due to his service-connected cervical spine degenerative arthritis, thoracic spine fractures and degenerative arthritis, bilateral knee retropatellar syndrome, and tinnitus that render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation from November 16, 2013 to March 15, 2015.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% and denied a higher rating.,Service connection for the left knee condition is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee strain with limitation of extension, flexion, and instability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for vascular steal syndrome, hypertension, right knee post traumatic arthritis, and MDD are remanded due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues for a VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee post-TKA residuals, meniscal condition, and instability are rated at 10%, 20%, and 10% respectively. The combined rating is 40%. Effective February 1, 2022, the Veteran's right knee status post total replacement has been rated as having intermediate degrees of residual weakness, pain or limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his right knee disability as secondary to service-connected disabilities and/or due to obesity, as well as his degenerative arthritis of the right foot. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to address whether his service-connected posttraumatic arthritis of the right ankle and/or degenerative arthritis of the right foot caused or aggravated his right knee disability and if not whether his osteoarthritis of the right knee was caused by these conditions with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU prior to October 4, 2016 were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.