Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to identify and obtain the appellant's service records, both personnel and medical, from their periods of IADT for basic combat training (BCT) and advanced individual training (AIT). The National Guard service records are also required. Once these records are obtained, the appeal will be readjudicated.

The Board denied service connection for respiratory, right ankle, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service. The Board found that any current disabilities were not caused by or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition and baker's cyst, left knee due to the lack of evidence of current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional evaluations of her right and left knee iliotibial band syndrome. The combined evaluation for multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities remains denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate examination in the previous decision, and a new examination is required.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and SMC have been remanded due to the submission of a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) under the legacy system, which has now been accepted by the Board.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of left ear hearing loss and left knee conditions. The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a 100% disability rating, effective from May 17, 2018, and TDIU is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, PTSD, hypoesthesia of the lateral third of the left lower lip, lumbar strain, irritable bowel syndrome, dermatitis, and bilateral tinnitus are all granted. The Veteran is assigned a 10% rating for each condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date prior to December 28, 2017 for the award of service connection and secondary service connection for mental health, headaches, bilateral knee pain, and bilateral upper extremity pain conditions. The claims were first filed in August 2018.

The appeal of the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities have been dismissed.

The Board has dismissed all appeals for service connection of various injuries and conditions as the appellant died during the pendency of these appeals.

The appeals for service connection of various conditions have been denied as no new and relevant evidence has been received to support the claims. The appeal for bilateral feet disabilities is being remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for RLE and LLE sciatic radiculopathy, as well as the left knee scar, were granted with effective dates of October 9, 2019. The right knee disability and thoracolumbar spine disability received their initial effective date on October 19, 2012.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, and left hip osteoarthritis due to insufficient opinions in previous VA examinations regarding whether these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received with respect to the previously denied service connection claims for left foot, right foot, left shoulder, right shoulder, and left knee conditions. These matters are being remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cataracts, hypertension, a lung disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms post-service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions to address whether his claimed disabilities are related to service, particularly given his in-service exposures and symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and tinnitus due to new evidence received after the April 2020 decision.,Service connection is granted for sinusitis. The Veteran's back disorder and left hip disorder are not found to be related to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, facial acne with scarring, and onychomycosis were denied originally in a February 2010 rating decision. The effective date of the grants of service connection was assigned as November 28, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for postpartum perineal tear with redundant tissue was also granted on November 28, 2018.

The Veteran's claimed headache disability is not service-connected as it did not result from an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability that meets VA criteria for a disability rating.