Knee decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, resulting in a TDIU. The adjustment disorder with depressed mood requires further examination to determine the appropriate disability rating.

The Veteran's initial 20 percent rating for scar is granted, but her claim for a higher rating is dismissed.,Her right knee disability and lupus service connection claims are remanded due to the need for additional development.,Her hypertension service connection claim is also remanded.,Her bilateral hearing loss increased rating claim is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and right ankle condition. The claim for bilateral pes planus is remanded.,Service connection for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and right ankle condition are granted on a secondary basis due to pre-existing conditions aggravated by service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for additional records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his active military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee arthritis and instability due to new evidence, including SSA records and employment history. The TDIU claim is also on hold until the Veteran provides his complete employment history.

The Veteran's tension headaches, contact dermatitis, tinea pedis, and lipoma have been shown to have originated during active service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for a 10% evaluation for arthritis of the left knee with limitation of motion has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to proceed as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated release forms for private treatment records and scheduling new VA examinations. Additionally, a medical opinion is required regarding the etiology of his psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and medical opinions regarding the etiology of her gastrointestinal disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for left and right knee conditions due to a lack of medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his right knee disability, particularly concerning recurrent subluxation or lateral instability prior to April 27, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was reopened and granted, while the claims for right ear hearing loss, right knee disability, and right ear tinnitus were denied. The Veteran's service connection for a right thumb injury and right hand radiculopathy was granted.,The Veteran has been awarded ratings for her right thumb injury and right hand radiculopathy, but not for other conditions such as PTSD, hearing loss, or knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hand third finger disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such condition.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with the opinion that it is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for left elbow tendonitis, left knee disorder, low back disorder, and right elbow bursitis has been resolved in his favor. The issue of service connection for a left elbow disorder is dismissed as the claim was granted previously.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, and his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date of March 14, 2018, for the grant of service connection for left knee instability. The Veteran's claim was based on his contention that the issue should be considered as intertwined with his increased rating claim for left knee strain with osteoarthritis, but this argument was not persuasive.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied the remaining issues on appeal. Tinnitus is found to be related to active service, while no current disability or relationship to service is established for the other conditions.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left knee disability and service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke due to lack of evidence showing VA carelessness or negligence.