Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hip and knee conditions, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral ankle condition due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection of hypertension, allergic rhinitis, and right knee disability. The claim for tinnitus is also granted. However, all three main issues are remanded due to insufficient evidence or need for further clarification.

The Veteran's total left knee replacement and right knee chondromalacia patella with subchondral cyst are granted. The claim for service connection of a bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

Your claims for service connection have been resolved in full with the grant of benefits. No further action is needed.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from June 9, 2020, due to his service-connected prostate cancer residuals rated at 40 percent. The SMC at the housebound rate is denied prior to September 29, 2020.

The Veteran's left knee disability is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically the failure to provide a VA medical opinion prior to the January 2021 rating decision on appeal. The AOJ must verify the Veteran's periods of active-duty service and issue an addendum opinion regarding his left knee disability.

The Veteran withdrew her claims for right hip, left hip, and right knee pain from appellate consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease, finding that it is proximately due to her service-connected right knee disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the appeal for a compensable rating is denied.,Service connection for right knee disorder is denied due to lack of evidence showing an injury or disease during active duty for training.

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating for recurrent left knee subluxation from 20 percent to full (100%) effective April 1, 2021. The reduction was improper due to lack of evidence showing improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Veteran's right hand/fingers condition is granted service connection as it resulted in functional impairment. The Veteran's headaches and patellofemoral pain syndrome (knee) are denied service connection due to lack of a link to service.

The Board has denied the readjudication of claims for service connection for various knee, shoulder, ankle, and lumbar spine disabilities as no new and relevant evidence was received to reopen these claims.

Service connection for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress is granted.,The issue of service connection for sinusitis is dismissed as moot due to the VA RO's independent grant prior to the Board decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and exposure basis issues. The appeals are not related to service connection.

The Veteran withdrew all issues on appeal during his hearing, indicating satisfaction with his current benefits.

The appeal for service connection for tinnitus is dismissed. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression) are remanded.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been evaluated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.,The Veteran's left knee disability was previously rated at 30 percent, but the Board now finds that an updated VA examination is necessary to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, right knee, and lumbar disability have been granted. The Board found that new evidence supported reopening these previously denied claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss and foot/knee disabilities, were denied as there was no current disability or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran is granted an annual clothing allowance for the 2023 calendar year due to wear and tear on his pants caused by a left knee brace used for his service-connected left knee strain.