Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back disability, bilateral foot disabilities (including pes planus and plantar fasciitis), right knee disability, and left knee disability due to the need for additional evidence or examination. The issues are being returned to the AOJ for further review.

The Veteran's left knee joint osteoarthritis is rated at a minimum of 10 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion or other diagnostic codes. The current rating accurately reflects the disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence presented by the Veteran.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent for limitation of flexion and a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic removal of cartilage. The appeal for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for limitation of flexion was denied, while the appeal for a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic removal of cartilage was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, neck, and low back disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions based on the absence of treatment records.

The Veteran's left knee and low back disabilities have been granted, but his increased rating claims for these conditions are being remanded. Additionally, the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is also being remanded.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been granted a rating of 20 percent for each, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, right knee disability, and psychiatric disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in decision-making and a need for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and left knee condition.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed as he has requested to withdraw all issues on appeal.

The Board has identified errors in the adjudication of the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for her left lower extremity nerve disability and residuals of a left hamstring harvest. The VA examinations conducted during the appeal period are inadequate to determine which nerves are affected, and further examination is needed. Additionally, there is insufficient evidence to establish whether any current hamstring disability is related to the in-service hamstring harvest.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation due to his inability to use assistive devices and lack of loss of use of any extremities.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, neck disorder, lumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, and right hand disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's participation in willful misconduct during service is considered a bar to establishing service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims as he died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sinus bradycardia was voluntarily withdrawn. The RO granted a 30 percent rating for migraines and granted separate ratings of 10 percent each for right knee strain with shin splints s/p arthroscopy, right knee instability, and right knee post-operative meniscectomy. The appeal concerning left shoulder disability, plantar warts, left knee disability, and internal hemorrhoids is remanded.

The Veteran's death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, not related to his service-connected conditions. The Board found no evidence linking the cause of death to active duty or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the service connection claim for shoulder pain dysfunction and is not granting increased ratings for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome or right knee instability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the August 2015 and October 2016 rating decisions, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to consider these appeals.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied due to lack of current diagnosis. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity and cervical spinal stenosis with cervical fusion claims are denied.