Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence being added since the last decision, and the appellant is proceeding pro se.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for a separate 10 percent rating for service-connected painful flexion of the left knee through application of 38 C.F.R. � 4.59 prior to April 10, 2017 as it was resolved by the December 2021 Memorandum Decision of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC).

The Board has granted service connection for left patella tendon rupture status post tendon repair as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee chondromalacia.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee condition, finding that it is etiologically related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, finding that it was incurred in or related to his active military service.

The Veteran's left knee instability is granted a rating of 30 percent, effective April 15, 2017. The right knee condition secondary to the service-connected left knee conditions and TDIU claims are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including back, knee, ankle, shoulder, and hand conditions. The reasons include a lack of examination addressing the impact of cold weather conditions during service.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from May 5, 2012 and effective date of Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits from the same date. The decision also grants an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a right knee disorder have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's service connection claims for headaches and a right knee disorder are remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further medical examination.

The Veteran's appeals for hearing loss and skin condition (claimed as jungle rot) were dismissed due to his withdrawal of these claims.,Service connection was granted for cervical-spine disorder with associated left-upper-extremity radiculopathy, lumbar-spine disorder with associated right and left-lower-extremity radiculopathy, and right-knee disorder, all secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus and hallux valgus.

The Veteran's right knee disorder, including degenerative arthritis with chondromalacia and avascular necrosis, is rated at 30 percent effective April 3, 2019. The Board found the May 2019 VA examination to be more probative due to its consideration of lay statements regarding pain and flares.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claims of service connection for various lower back, knee, ankle, and radiculopathy disabilities. The claims are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection effective June 27, 2018. The Board finds that an earlier effective date of December 30, 2016 is warranted based on the Veteran's reported symptoms and medical evidence.,Remands are issued for further development regarding service connection claims for intestinal condition, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), right knee disability, left knee disability, rating in excess of 30 percent for trauma and stressor related disorder, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his right knee post cruciate ligament reconstruction was denied in November 2018. The Board has jurisdiction over this matter due to the Veteran initiating an appeal by filing a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) under the AMA system, despite not receiving a Statement of the Case (SOC). A remand is required for the Agency of Original Jurisdiction to issue a SOC.

The Veteran's claims for left knee strain, myeloma, sinusitis, and cervical strain have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee condition, specifically his claimed right calf muscle strain.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as antisocial personality, depression, and/or PTSD) and a right knee disability (laceration and surgery of the right knee) have been granted. However, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability remains denied.

Service connection is granted for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, left ear sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus.,Service connection is denied for unspecified depressive disorder, right ankle degenerative arthritis, left ankle degenerative arthritis, right knee osteoarthritis status post total replacement, left knee osteoarthritis status post meniscal tear repair, right hip degenerative arthritis, left hip degenerative arthritis and femoral acetabular impingement syndrome, right wrist degenerative arthritis, left wrist degenerative arthritis, right shoulder acromioclavicular osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tear status post total replacement, left shoulder acromioclavicular osteoarthritis, right lateral epicondylitis, left lateral epicondylitis, neck pain, lumbar spine DJD, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbosacral strain, and radiculopathy.,Service connection is denied for coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and hypertensive heart disease.