Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in the May 2013 decision due to a lack of evidence of current disability and no objective evidence of a chronic respiratory condition.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disorder and a back disorder, leading to their remand. The AOJ will consider these claims on the merits.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various orthopedic disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a causal relationship to service.

The Board has denied service connection for a right knee disability due to the absence of evidence of a current disability. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, left leg disability, and left knee disability are remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claim for service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease with meniscus tear and chondromalacia patella, finding that no new and relevant evidence was submitted since the last denial.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations conducted prior to the decision on appeal.

The Veteran's left knee disorder and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The left knee disorder is linked to in-service injury, while the tinnitus is related to noise exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting right knee injury was aggravated by service, and therefore grants service connection for a right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left knee disorder and instability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left knee disorder, but granted a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service onset or continuity of symptoms for any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED for further action on several issues, including entitlement to increased ratings for his knee disabilities.,The RO reduced the disability ratings for right and left knee lateral instability from 20 percent to noncompensable (0) percent, effective July 1, 2020. The Veteran's appeal seeks reinstatement of these ratings.

The Veteran's service connection claims for thoracolumbar spine, right and left knee, and right and left ankle disabilities are being remanded due to errors in duty to assist.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and a need for additional examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various eye, back, knee, hand, and foot conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraines, obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, and right knee scars were denied. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.,Specifically, the VA examination reports showed that the Veteran's migraines did not result in very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability, his obstructive sleep apnea did not require use of a CPAP machine, his GERD did not meet the criteria for 30 percent or higher ratings under either DC 7203 or DC 7206, and his right knee scars were not deep or nonlinear enough to warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for his service-connected left knee patellar instability with arthritis (limitation of flexion) is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities as there is no current evidence of a diagnosed disability or functional impairment.

The Veteran's right knee strain and tendonitis disability are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether his condition was incurred during active duty training.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as neck and back disabilities due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors regarding VA treatment records and private medical records.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for gout in his bilateral feet and knees have been denied. A TDIU has been granted.