Knee decisions — 2024

The Board denied service connection for multiple disorders, including right and left hip, right knee, right shoulder, left hand (finger), left elbow, vision impairment, thyroid cancer, psychiatric disorder (to include depression and anxiety), separate psychiatric disorder, neck muscle spasms, left shoulder muscle spasms, and a left knee sprain.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, back, and left knee disabilities as they were not etiologically related to the Veteran's active service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and sleep apnea as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to determine the current diagnosis and etiology of the Veteran's left knee condition, considering both direct service connection and secondary causation or aggravation by her service-connected right knee condition.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, finding no in-service injury or chronic symptoms to establish a link between the current condition and military service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support an increased rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right hip disabilities were denied, but an effective date of October 10, 2018, was granted for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability and restored ratings for right knee instability and limitation of extension, while denying compensable ratings for right knee scarring, inguinal hernia, and inguinal hernia scarring. The Veteran was also awarded special monthly compensation.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent since July 8, 2020. The Board has determined that the current ratings do not accurately reflect the severity of the disabilities.

The Veteran's headaches are granted as secondary to service-connected tinnitus. The scar to the forehead, left knee disability, and left arm disability are denied. Service connection for pes planus is also denied.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a higher than 10 percent rating for bilateral foot porokeratosis in soles, metatarsalgia both feet. The claims for service connection for various disabilities were remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation starting November 1, 2013. Effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits are set to November 1, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of proper notice and scheduling for VA examinations, which are necessary to determine if her right wrist fractures and right knee condition are related to or aggravated by her service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, left knee, right wrist, and left wrist disabilities due to the absence of current diagnoses during the relevant evidentiary window. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was remanded for further development, as was the back disability claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to a failure to schedule VA examinations. The Veteran was scheduled but did not attend, and good cause is found for this failure.

The Board denied service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, a bilateral hip disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the conditions were not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities, including arthritis and instability, were granted increased disability ratings of 20 percent each for the period from July 8, 2020 to October 22, 2020.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion, and a new examination is required.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, but the cases of left knee disability, right knee disability, left hand disability, and left foot disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.