Knee decisions — 2023

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for further examination and opinion as the current opinions do not address whether his service-connected disabilities aggravated his obesity, which in turn caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to April 25, 2013 for tricompartmental osteoarthritis of the left knee and a compensable rating prior to April 25, 2013 for tricompartmental osteoarthritis of the left knee.

The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis due to the absence of a current diagnosis.,Service connection is remanded for right knee and left elbow disabilities as there are insufficient opinions addressing their relationship to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted a 20 percent rating prior to March 28, 2019. From March 28, 2019 to March 9, 2023, the claim for an increased rating was denied. Since March 9, 2023, the Veteran's claim remains pending as a higher rating is not granted.

The Veteran's increased ratings for right and left knee conditions have been granted. The effective dates are from the respective rating changes.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of various conditions including right knee, left knee, back, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy in bilateral extremities, hypertension, and heart condition due to incomplete development.

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in December 2022 was inadequate for rating purposes due to a lack of information regarding flare-ups and repeated use over time. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum retrospective medical opinion from an appropriate examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's diagnosed obesity, which is related to his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, was a result of his service-connected conditions. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee strain, finding that his current condition is not related to his military service and more likely due to a post-service motor vehicle accident in 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis and right knee sprain have been remanded for new VA examinations to determine their current severity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his right knee condition. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether any of the Veteran's right knee conditions were caused or aggravated by the service-connected back condition.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is now considered service-connected.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for residuals of a right finger injury, right knee disability, and right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities, as well as his headaches, are granted service connection. The back disability is granted a minimum of 40 percent rating from May 11, 2011 to July 23, 2015, and again from September 22, 2015 to October 24, 2017.

The Veteran's right foot onychomycosis is denied as there is no medical evidence showing a nexus between the condition and his military service.,Service connection for a bilateral foot condition, to include pes planus, is denied due to lack of a medical nexus between the current condition and his military service. The examiner found that the Veteran's ataxia was more likely than not the primary etiology for his impairment.,The Veteran's bilateral knee condition is denied as there is no medical evidence showing a nexus between the condition and his military service, with the examiner finding it more likely caused by ataxia.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and retropatellar pain syndrome of the left knee as secondary to his service-connected right knee condition. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right elbow, right knee, and left knee disabilities are denied as service connection due to the conditions preexisting prior to service.

The Veteran's bilateral knee pain is granted as service connected. The left shoulder condition issue is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee injury, but has remanded it to allow for further development and consideration of the evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating issues have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of all pending appeals.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the appellant's left knee conditions and their relationship to his service-connected right knee disabilities. The claim will be further developed with additional medical examinations.