Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has granted the appellant's application to reopen her claims for service connection for hepatitis C and left knee disability, but denied a higher rating for her left shoulder disability. The claim for service connection for cause of death is also remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated based on instability and arthritis. The issues of service connection for fibromyalgia, increased rating for scars and saphenous neuropathy, and TDIU were remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, right knee disability, and lumbar spine disability, finding that these conditions began during his active service.

The Board denied service connection for thoracic spine and left wrist CTS disabilities, but granted a separate 10% rating for mild instability of the right knee throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and bilateral knee osteoarthritis were denied as there was no evidence of a direct relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an upper body neurological component disability was dismissed as the Veteran was granted service connection in a July 2020 rating decision.,For his back disability, the Veteran is not entitled to increased ratings prior to January 23, 2020 and thereafter (40 percent).

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of herbicide exposure during service, and there is no medical evidence linking his current diabetes to service or any other basis for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected right knee disability due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability. The decision is based on evidence showing that the left knee disability was aggravated by the right knee disability during service.

The reduction of the PTSD rating from 100% to 50% is granted, effective February 1, 2016. The Veteran's sleep apnea and right knee strain are rated as they were before. TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are also granted.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis with painful motion and instability are rated at 10 percent each, effective June 23, 2017. The Veteran is granted a 30 percent rating for his left knee instability since June 23, 2017. A separate compensable rating for neurological dysfunction of the left wrist is remanded. TDIU is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examinations and missing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his service-connected back injury and left knee disability is being remanded due to the inadequacy of previous VA examinations.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection of OSA, including whether his service-connected disabilities cause or aggravate OSA and whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing OSA.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right knee, left knee, right hip, and bilateral shoulder disabilities as they are not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Service connection for chest problems due to asbestos exposure has been remanded, as the claim is not clear on its face.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability due to new evidence showing current back disability related to in-service activities. Service connection was denied for right knee, left knee, and neck disabilities as no chronic symptoms were present during or shortly after service. The psychiatric disability is not considered secondary to the service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that this rating was not warranted based on the evidence of record.,The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board determined that a higher rating was not warranted.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The claims for upper extremity and knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.