Knee decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis, finding that it was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his military service and did not manifest within one year of discharge. The Board also found no evidence of secondary service connection due to his service-connected disabilities.

Service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss has been granted.,An initial 10 percent rating is assigned for residuals of the right fifth finger fracture with a gap between fingertip and proximal transverse crease, effective from August 25, 2017. The left knee condition also received an initial 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, right knee lateral meniscus tear with osteoarthritis, and left knee strain with osteoarthritis due to unclear functional loss during flare-ups and additional loss of function.

The Veteran's left knee strain is remanded due to the need for clarification on his service from June 1980 to June 1986, including periods of active duty and pay details.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing continuity of symptomatology from service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee tendonitis/tendinosis and hemorrhoids, finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed the remaining claims. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected left and right ankle disabilities, left and right knee disabilities, right shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, and depression.

The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error due to inadequate and minimally probative VA examination and opinions, thus the case is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's eye condition, myopic astigmatism, is not service-connected as it was present prior to service and no superimposed disease or injury occurred during service.,There is no evidence of a current chronic headache disorder related to the Veteran's service. The Veteran's migraine headaches are not service-connected.,Hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown in service, did not manifest within a presumptive period, and there was no continuity of symptomatology attributable to service.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is not service-connected as it is not related to any service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to obtain examinations for all claimed disorders.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine (back) disability and remanded the issues of service connection for cervical spine, right knee, left knee, right foot, and left foot disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, left wrist, and right wrist have been granted. The Veteran's knee conditions are rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has denied service connection for recurrent right hip, left knee, and left foot disabilities as well as diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's claims were based on his own statements of experiencing symptoms during active service, but no medical evidence supports these assertions.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left knee disability and TDIU are remanded due to the need to obtain private medical records and employment verification from his former employer, USPS.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, OSA, left knee disability, and right knee disability on a secondary basis to the Veteran's already service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for obtaining private treatment records and considering the issue of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a left knee condition prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's PTSD and bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities were denied increased ratings, while the TDIU claim prior to January 29, 2020, was also denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee arthritis and left knee arthritis, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not having onset during or shortly after her military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether any of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death.