Knee decisions — 2023

The Veteran's ED and sleep apnea were not manifest during service, and are not otherwise etiologically related to such service.,The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities may be secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus (flat feet) and nonservice-connected right and left lower extremity calf strain. The Board finds that an addendum VA medical opinion is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the February 2018 VA examination.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, and an addendum opinion is needed from an appropriate clinician.

The Veteran's service-connected back, knee, and lower extremity disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, PTSD, left knee condition, and right knee condition are all granted service connection.,Service connection for COPD is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for right knee and left knee service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of all pending appeals.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a left knee disability is denied because the SOC became final, and no timely appeal was filed after it. The earliest possible effective date assigned is March 17, 2021, when the Veteran submitted a supplemental claim to reopen his previously denied claim.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip osteoarthritis, left knee posttraumatic osteoarthritis, right knee posttraumatic osteoarthritis, and right wrist degenerative arthritis. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service MOS as a survival instructor and associated injuries from parachute jumps.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining retrospective opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected right knee and right hip disabilities at specific VA examination times.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.,The appeal for service connection for pulmonary embolus is remanded.,The appeal for service connection for deep vein thrombosis and venous embolism and thrombosis of the right lower extremity is remanded.,The appeal for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is remanded.,The appeal for service connection for a disability of the right knee is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient examination reports for determining the current nature and severity of service-connected right knee and left knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and temporary total evaluation due to additional development being needed under VA's duty to assist.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disorders, as well as PTSD. However, it granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood).

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck, back, bilateral knee, and bilateral hand disabilities as these conditions are found to be related to his time as a boxer in military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities (excluding chondromalacia) have been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.,Service connection was granted for right knee chondromalacia, but the Veteran's claims for other knee disabilities remain on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for left wrist and left knee disabilities, finding no current diagnoses or evidence of in-service injury that would support a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the addendum medical opinions are inadequate for adjudicating the Veteran's claims and requires remand to address the secondary service connection theories of entitlement, specifically as secondary to obesity.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a respiratory disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, and left knee disorder have all been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to his military service.,There is no current diagnosis or treatment records indicating any of these conditions during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's right elbow and left knee disabilities are granted as service-connected. The Board finds that the Veteran's left shoulder disability and hypertension require additional medical opinions to determine their relationship with service.,The Veteran's right elbow and left knee disabilities have been determined to be related to his military service, but further investigation is needed for his left shoulder and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities due to inconsistencies in previous examinations. The Veteran is also being asked to provide an additional examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected left knee total replacement disability, as well as for obtaining any outstanding treatment records.