Knee decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder as there was no evidence showing he incurred such a condition during his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% and his Osgood-Schlatter's disease of the right knee, flexion, is restored to a 10% rating. The increased ratings for PTSD and extension of the right knee are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to procedural issues, lack of new evidence, and inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are currently diagnosed but their etiology is unclear.

The Board has determined that the VA's decision on service connection for right and left knee disabilities is not adequate, and thus remanded to obtain further medical opinions.

The Veteran's request for a higher rating for their service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease is being remanded due to an inadequate examination report. The Board will obtain a new examination to assess the current severity of the condition and provide a more comprehensive evaluation.

The Board has determined that the VA examination in September 2020 is inadequate and requires additional development, including a remand for a new VA medical opinion to determine the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disorder. The right knee disorder claim is also being remanded due to its interdependence with the left knee claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hernia, right foot disability, left foot disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and right knee disability. The issues of service connection for left knee disability have been remanded.

The Veteran is granted service connection for a headache disorder, but denied service connection for right and left knee conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including meniscal impairment and degenerative joint disease, is rated at 20 percent since August 18, 2014.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right shin stress fracture, left shin stress fracture, and bilateral hearing loss as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities during the appeal period.

The Veteran's death was attributed to myocardial infarction and cardiac insufficiency. The VA examiner opined that the service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, but there is a need for an adequate medical opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a disability rating greater than 20 percent for right knee medial meniscus tear and repair instability, as well as for a disability rating greater than 10 percent for status post right knee medial meniscus tear and repair, arthritis and limitation of motion. The reasons are that the VA examination in September 2019 is inadequate, and there may be secondary conditions related to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right and left knee conditions due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in obtaining an adequate VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee condition due to lack of credible evidence linking his current disability to an in-service injury.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder AC joint osteoarthritis, left knee strain, and right knee strain. The Veteran's in-service injuries are found to be related to his current disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for back pain, hip stiffness, left knee strain, and right knee pain due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for left knee, right knee, and tinnitus disabilities due to duty-related injuries in service. The Veteran's current conditions are osteoarthritis of the knees and tinnitus. The VA did not obtain an examination or opinion regarding these issues prior to the decision on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee injury.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee arthritis and right knee arthritis status-post right knee replacement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.