Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability for VA purposes during the appeal period.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with the Board finding that the Veteran had onset of ringing in his ears during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, low back, and seizure disorders have been reopened. The claim of TDIU since August 16, 2016 has been granted due to the combined rating of 60% for major depressive disorder associated with other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right and left knee disabilities are not related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's child is seeking help for permanent incapacity due to congenital defects. The Board finds a need for further examination and records review.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and left knee disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected pes planus of the left foot.,Both conditions are now considered service connected due to their association with the Veteran's pre-existing pes planus.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied. She is currently rated at 20% for her meniscal tear of the left knee, effective August 1, 2011.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and right knee disability due to incomplete records and inadequate VA opinions. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left knee injury, right knee injury, and nerve damage due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left knee tendonitis is being remanded due to the receipt of additional VA clinical documentation and examination records. The case will be returned to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for consideration of these new documents.

The Veteran's initial rating for left knee arthritis disability is denied as the symptoms do not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating. A separate 10 percent rating has been granted for left knee instability.

The Veteran's appeal for higher initial ratings for right foot plantar fasciitis has been dismissed.,Service connection for headaches is granted, with the Board resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has found that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the back and knees is not related to service, including herbicide exposure or secondary to his PTSD. The skeletal arthritis claim remains pending as it lacks a clear opinion on whether it is due to herbicide exposure or PTSD.,The Veteran's hypertension claim also remains pending as there are no adequate opinions regarding its relationship to service, specifically herbicide exposure or PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded.,No effective date has been assigned as the issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to determine the severity and manifestations of his bilateral knee disabilities, left knee disability, lumbar disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment since approximately December 31, 2008. The effective date for TDIU is set at December 31, 2008.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left leg and left knee disabilities were denied. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disability, finding that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim. The Board also found that the Veteran's current left knee disability is related to his in-service injury.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis is granted as service connected, with the Board finding that his symptoms have been continuous since active duty.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for right knee, right ankle, left ankle, right foot, and left foot disabilities. The issues are inextricably intertwined with a higher rating claim for the left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted. The cases of the right and left knee disabilities, as well as the right and left ankle disabilities, are remanded due to inadequate examinations. The case of the partial tear of the distal subscapularis of the right shoulder is also remanded.