Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied as the VA did not receive a claim prior to December 2012, and entitlement arose before that time.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left rotator cuff tendonitis and right knee tendonitis/tendinosis due to incomplete medical examinations that did not address functional ankylosis or flare-ups.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and a need for further medical examination regarding the Veteran's ability to require aid and attendance or be housebound.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability due to lack of jurisdiction.,The reduction in rating for left upper extremity neuropathy from 40% to 20% effective March 1, 2023 is upheld.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for a determination on whether he should have been granted TDIU prior to February 23, 2021. The Board finds that the Veteran has continuously pursued his service connection claims since April 25, 2018 and that the issue of whether TDIU can be granted prior to February 23, 2021 remains on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bulging disc is denied, and the claims for increased ratings for left knee and lumbosacral strain disabilities are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 0 percent, the lowest possible rating.,The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent and cannot be increased further under VA regulations.,The Veteran's left knee shin splints are rated at 10 percent due to requiring treatment for more than 12 consecutive months.,The Veteran's right knee shin splints are also rated at 10 percent based on the same criteria.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral strain, lumbar spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The VA will conduct new examinations to assess the severity of these conditions during the rating period.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ankle, left hip, left knee, right hip, and right knee conditions due to failure of the Veteran to attend scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee disorder and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinions addressing all theories of entitlement and evidence of record.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA) as it is at least as likely as not caused or chronically worsened by his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were dismissed due to a procedural defect in how the appeal was filed.

The Veteran's right and left knee strains are rated at 10 percent each. The Board has determined that the VA examination was inadequate, specifically for not recording range of motion testing or estimations for both knees during flare-ups and repeated use over time.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than August 6, 2021 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus and an effective date earlier than August 25, 2023 for the grants of service connection for lumbar radiculopathy, sciatic, left and right are denied.,The Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent for disc degeneration at fifth lumbar, first sacral of the lumbar spine, and ratings in excess of 40 and 20 percent for lumbar radiculopathy, sciatic, left and right are denied.,The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for scar, left knee, a rating in excess of 10 percent for painful scar, left knee, and a compensable rating for hemorrhoids are denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities are not related to his active duty service. The claims for these conditions have been remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and headache disability. The Veteran's current conditions are reasonably shown to have had onset in service.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine, right knee, and headache disabilities based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right foot hallux valgus, and left foot hammer toes. Service connection is denied for a cervical spine disability.

Your appeal to restore your left knee disability rating from 10% to 30% has been dismissed. The issue was previously pending and resolved in a previous Board decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for morbid obesity, costochondritis, and GERD were denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was also denied.,Service connection was granted for generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks and major depressive disorder (Anxiety Disorder).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the claim for an initial compensable rating is denied.,Service connection for right knee arthritis has been granted in full by a prior decision. The appeal of this issue is dismissed.,Service connection for RLE, LLE, RUE, and LUE peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure is not established as the evidence does not support a nexus between these conditions and service.