Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability, to include as secondary to left knee disability due to further development and medical opinion.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and right knee disability have been granted, and a 20 percent rating has been assigned for her right foot disability from January 29, 2015 to April 18, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and right knee strain due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral knee disabilities and bilateral sciatica due to in-service events such as constant bending over, crawling on knees, and laying on back during 8 years of fixing vehicles. The VA will schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that it is related to his active-duty service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for further evaluation and updated medical records to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn, leaving the issues of left knee disability and acquired psychiatric disability to be decided.,The Veteran's claim for left knee disability was reopened based on new evidence showing a connection to service. The claim for acquired psychiatric disability was granted as it is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis due to inadequate examination in January 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for temporary total evaluations based on convalescence following right knee surgeries in September 2019 and February 2020, finding that there was no evidence showing at least one month of convalescence or severe postoperative residuals.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the cases due to procedural issues and the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service due to the presumption under the PACT Act.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of COPD, an undiagnosed illness, or a qualifying chronic disability. The claims for service connection for left wrist and knee disabilities are remanded due to inadequate opinions regarding direct service connection.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's service connection and rating claims due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on all five issues related to various injuries and conditions, including right knee disorder, left knee disorder, TBI residuals, headaches, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's hypertension, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and spondylosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine are all rated as they were originally. The issue of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee is remanded due to new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including depression, back disability, right and left knee disabilities, and kidney disease. The Veteran is also being asked to provide additional evidence or undergo medical examinations regarding these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis, status post total knee replacement, is granted. The Board found that the current disability is related to an in-service parachute jump injury.