Knee decisions — 2021

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disorder has rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since February 2, 2009.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, migraine headaches, and spondylosis with thoracic and lumbosacral spine strain (back disability) have been denied. The appeal is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 60 percent for his left knee injury, post/operative knee replacement is dismissed. Service connection claims for bilateral foot disorder, low back disorder, and right knee disorder are denied as the evidence does not support direct service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, headaches, lumbar disc herniation and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with chondromalacia and meniscus tear, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with meniscus tear post-operative, and radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a right knee condition as secondary to service-connected hypertension and left knee degenerative joint disease, respectively. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's conditions were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral knee and ankle disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,The Veteran's chronic headache disability is denied. There is no evidence of current headache, bilateral knee, or bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence was received to warrant readjudicating the claims for service connection for PTSD, headaches/migraines, knee disabilities, and sinusitis. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty-to-assist error. The issues of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee, left knee, diabetes mellitus type II, and sleep apnea are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, right knee disability, left great toe disability, and right great toe disability are all granted service connection as they can be presumed to have been incurred in service due to their chronic nature.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's timely substantive appeals were received in response to the March 18, 2019 Statements of the Case. As a result, the appeal is granted for all issues listed.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in development and duty-to-assist issues, as well as potential TDIU claims that were not properly addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spondylolisthesis, adjustment disorder, left knee strain, tinnitus, and right elbow trauma, are found to render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee strain with osteoarthritis disability is related to his service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for rib disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and IBS due to new evidence received since the last decision. The claims are currently pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding combat service and their relationship to service. The Veteran is also being asked to provide information about his reported combat incidents.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in him needing regular aid and attendance due to his physical limitations caused by his orthopedic conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for further review due to inadequate assessments of the Veteran's knee disabilities and clarification on his employment history.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain, left and right weak quadriceps muscles, and residuals of a right femur fracture disabilities are being remanded for additional examinations to determine their current severity. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issues.