Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure of VA to obtain an adequate VA examination and opinion in connection with the Veteran's claim for service connection for his right knee disability. The Veteran contends that his current knee disability was aggravated by his active-duty service, but no VA examiner has provided an opinion on this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for a higher rating for right knee disability due to duty-to-assist errors in the January 2020 VA examination report.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee, right knee, lower back, and tinnitus disabilities. Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an addendum medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused his obesity, which in turn may have aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and partial meniscectomy residuals, as well as left knee osteoarthritis, finding that these conditions originated during active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are remanded due to duty to assist errors, including a need for another examination of his left knee condition.

The Veteran's lower back pain is granted service connection, but his right hip pain, left hip pain, right knee pain, and left knee pain are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, resulting in the grant of TDIU.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left knee disabilities, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to his involvement in a motor vehicle accident during active duty.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all listed conditions, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities, so the cases are dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including cluster headaches and knee disabilities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and colon cancer. Service connection was granted for hypertension on a basis other than the provisions of the PACT Act.,Service connection for hypertension was granted without regard to the PACT Act.

The Veteran's right hip extension is rated at noncompensable prior to May 14, 2022 and at 10 percent from that date. His initial rating for right hip flexion was granted in October 2020. The Veteran's right hip impairment remains rated at 20 percent since April 26, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the available evidence of record indicates that the Veteran is currently employed in a substantial and gainful position.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disabilities and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to incomplete examinations and lack of adequate consideration of functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of the current 20 percent or 10 percent ratings assigned.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee patellofemoral syndrome and chondromalacia, as well as his claim for lateral instability of the right knee. The issues were previously addressed by the Board in multiple decisions, with some remands due to procedural or legal issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition, bilateral knee condition, and bilateral foot condition due to lack of evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right and left knee disability, as well as sleep apnea and hypertension. The heart disability claim was denied.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, sleep apnea, and hypertension based on in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.