Knee decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee and shin disabilities, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during service and have continued since then.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete compliance with previous directives and additional VA examinations are needed.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection due to the Veteran's timely filing of a Decision Review Request (DRR) opting into the Appeals Modernization Act, which allows for dismissal of appeals.

The Board denied service connection for back, neck, left knee, and left shoulder disabilities as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and unclear onset of his claimed disabilities. He is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if he currently has diagnosed disabilities that are related to his in-service duties.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a VA examination to assess the current severity of his conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, which involved multiple issues including service connection and a rating for an adjustment disorder. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the withdrawal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, left knee, and stomach conditions due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities or a link between in-service events and these conditions.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 11, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities. Effective from August 11, 2019, the TDIU claim is granted as the Veteran already has a 100% rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for various knee and hip disabilities have been denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability, temporomandibular disorder, and erectile dysfunction have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to his service-connected left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with osteoarthritis, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of the Veteran's conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for right-hand and left-hand conditions have been denied as there is no current evidence of a diagnosed condition.,For the dental condition, the Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish that he has lost teeth due to trauma or disease. The AOJ must obtain an examination to determine if such loss exists.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's April 2018 Notice of Disagreement was timely filed in response to a January 2017 rating decision denying service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition and a right knee disability, as well as a claim for increased ratings for ganglion cyst of the right wrist. The Board has therefore granted the Veteran's appeal on these issues.

The Board has restored the Veteran's left knee disability rating from 10 percent to 20 percent effective June 1, 2020. The reduction was improper due to inadequate evidence of improvement in the condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed left wrist, bilateral knee and left shoulder conditions. Service connection was denied only for his right knee condition.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 20 percent for instability since June 17, 2021. The increased rating in excess of 10 percent for the left knee arthritis was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to errors in the decision-making process prior to the current decision.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral knee disability and right hip disability, as well as an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD. The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service. For PTSD, the Board found that symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher 70% rating but are consistent with a 50% rating.