Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee and ankle arthralgia, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to active duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to his knees. The claim was also denied on a secondary basis as the Veteran's right foot disabilities are not found to have caused or aggravated his left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate examinations and requests for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities are related to service or secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and shin disabilities due to insufficient evidence on file.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA examination of the right knee due to inadequate testing in previous examinations.

The Veteran's right fifth finger strain is rated at the maximum possible level, and a higher rating cannot be assigned.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied as there is no evidence of its onset during service or continuity since service. The Board found that PTSD does not cause or aggravate the Veteran's sleep apnea.,The Veteran's right knee condition was denied due to lack of a current disability and failure to establish a link between his active service and his current condition.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical strain, left knee bipartite patella with degenerative joint disease, and right knee bipartite patella with degenerative joint disease are all being remanded for further development due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee PFPS and service connection for a right shoulder disability were both denied. The denial was based on the lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between her current condition and her military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right knee condition is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar degenerative disc disease.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that her preexisting conditions were not aggravated by active service and there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected right foot disabilities are rated at 10 percent, and he is denied a higher rating. Prior to May 11, 2017, the Veteran was not found unemployable due to his service-connected conditions. From May 11, 2017, the Veteran is granted TDIU.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for an updated opinion on the combined functional impact of his service-connected disabilities prior to October 2, 2019. Additionally, updated SSA records are needed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of increased evaluations and service connection, as further examinations are required to assess the severity of his bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, calcaneal spurs, and first metatarsophalangeal joint arthritis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, right knee disabilities, diabetes mellitus, and sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to inadequate compliance with prior remand orders.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right thigh, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during active service or are related to in-service injuries. The Board found no persuasive evidence linking current diagnoses to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete record. The Veteran's claims of service connection for psychiatric, lumbar spine, and left knee conditions are pending.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including malaria and its residuals, chloracne, cataracts, knee disabilities, jaw glands, polyps, cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, diverticulitis, diabetes mellitus type II, fibromyalgia, lumbar spine disability, and left lower extremity neuropathy. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted a 40% rating from December 13, 2021 to September 28, 2022. A higher rating for the entire appeal period is denied. The right knee disability and limitation of flexion are also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate rationale in previous VA opinions and a need for new medical examination.