Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis, other than bilateral foot arthritis (i.e., right knee and bilateral hand arthritis), due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's knee instability prior to July 1, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ankle sprain and right knee disorder due to a lack of compliance with procedural requirements during his May 2022 hearing. The Veteran is advised that he can request a new hearing if he wishes.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left shoulder strains, right elbow strain, left elbow strain, right knee strain, and right ankle strain, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee stress fractures, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee strain, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder pain require additional development due to a lack of an adequate VA examination.

The Board dismissed the appeals of the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for left knee strain with degenerative arthritis and left knee instability due to premature filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD).

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee replacements, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service duties of pole climbing and running in boots.

The Veteran's right knee surgery in November 2019 did not necessitate a period of convalescence lasting at least a month, nor did the surgery result in severe postoperative residuals or immobilization. Therefore, her claim for a temporary total evaluation is denied.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its secondary relationship to PTSD, degenerative arthritis of the right and left knee, degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, right and left ankle conditions, and nasal bone fracture residuals due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of March 12, 2019 for the Veteran's entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU), subject to certain legal requirements.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, cervical spine disorder, headaches, left shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, lower back, and acquired psychiatric disorders due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his right knee and lower back conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The left hip bursitis claim was not granted, as the evidence did not support an increase in rating based on ankylosis or limitation of motion. The right knee arthritis with soleus strain and shin splint claim was also not granted, as the evidence did not show a higher level of disability warranting a 20% rating under current criteria. Service connection for GERD was denied due to lack of service connection and no aggravation by a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the spine, right hip strain, left hip strain, right knee strain, and left knee strain are being remanded due to a lack of consideration of lay evidence regarding the onset and continuity of symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee and hip conditions due to a duty to assist error, requiring additional medical opinions on etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot, neck, left knee, and right knee disabilities have been remanded due to duty to assist errors.

Your appeal to connect your right knee strain with degenerative arthritis to service is dismissed.

The Veteran's vertigo is rated at a 10 percent rating, effective from the date of his claim.,The Veteran's TDIU application was denied as he did not meet the criteria for a TDIU under VA regulations.