Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hip and knee conditions, finding that they are secondary to his service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left knee disability is granted as service-connected.,A 50% rating for migraine headaches is granted.,Service connection for PTSD is remanded due to lack of evidence.,An initial rating in excess of 10% for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. The appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, sleep apnea, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are all considered.

The Board finds that additional development is required before the underlying claims for service connection can be adjudicated on the merits. Specifically, VA outpatient treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD. The effective dates assigned are correct.

The Veteran's back disability and left knee patellofemoral syndrome are granted service connection. The claim for increased ratings is remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected lumbar degenerative disc disease and right knee degenerative joint disease. The VA examinations conducted were found to be inadequate, necessitating further evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection, increased ratings, and VA examinations due to scheduling issues. The right knee disability claim is being remanded for a new VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but further examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his left knee and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further review due to new evidence being submitted and not previously considered by the AOJ. The Veteran was given an opportunity to waive initial AOJ review, but did not respond.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various orthopedic and respiratory conditions due to concerns about the adequacy of the VA examiners' opinions regarding the etiology of her claimed disorders.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected right knee disability is remanded due to inadequate retrospective addendum opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from January 14, 2013 to January 5, 2017. The Board has granted TDIU for this period.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to report for a VA examination, and further evaluation is needed to determine appropriate disability ratings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchial asthma, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, right hand arthritis, left hand arthritis, and a left hip condition due to incomplete medical records and the need for VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disorder, but denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left knee disability was denied, and his claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss were granted. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not have left ear hearing loss at any time during the appeal period.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disorders, finding that the current knee disorders are not causally related to service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the Veteran's periods of active service and any right knee injuries, as well as to obtain a nexus opinion regarding his right knee disability. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for onychomycosis of the right toenails was granted. The claims for left knee and right shoulder disabilities were denied.