Knee decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of a significant injury to his knee during service and no credible evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected bilateral knee conditions and left hip disability, as well as whether these conditions are related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his left knee, right knee, left ankle, sleep disturbances (including sleep apnea), left shoulder osteoarthritis, PTSD, and hypothyroidism. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to in-service parachute jumps or undiagnosed illnesses/chronic multisymptom illnesses, as well as considering the impact of obesity caused by service-connected disabilities on his current symptoms.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating will be remanded so that addendum opinions can address the issues raised by the Board.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to issues with scheduling VA examinations in Iwakuni City, Japan. The Veteran was not properly notified of examination arrangements.

The Board has granted service connection for chondromalacia patella of the right and left knees, residuals of muscle/tendon rotator cuff injury of the left shoulder, and chronic and recurrent strains of the right hamstring.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as new and material evidence was not received.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for GERD is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic cough and right knee pain are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeals are granted in part, with some issues being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar spine disability, neck disability, and foot disability. The VA is directed to obtain medical opinions regarding these claims.

The Veteran's right knee DJD has been granted a 20 percent rating, effective from December 23, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his claims of service connection for right knee condition, left knee condition, right foot condition, and a psychiatric disorder.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip condition, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The evidence shows that the Veteran's current left hip osteoarthritis is related to his service-connected right and left knee conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board also remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability due to incomplete evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals, including the service connection claim for right elbow disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for CFS, sinusitis, rhinitis, bilateral shoulder disability, hypertension, and headache disability have been dismissed. The remaining issues of service connection for bilateral knee disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle, hip, and knee conditions due to insufficient medical opinions addressing direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service records and a need for further investigation into the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's initial 10 percent rating for service-connected lumbar spine strain is granted prior to October 20, 2022. The claim for higher ratings and service connection are all denied.

The appeal of the recoupment of separation pay benefits from VA disability compensation is denied. The dental condition for treatment purposes issue is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal in January 2023.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation than 20 percent.