Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for his service-connected left knee patellofemoral syndrome status post patellar replacement is dismissed as the Veteran requested to withdraw the appeal.

The Veteran's headaches are granted a 30% rating, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's urinary urgency and right knee strain remain at their current ratings.

The Board has found the VA examination opinions inadequate due to their failure to address direct service connection and the Veteran's competent reports of self-treating with over-the-counter medication. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's left knee instability is rated at 20 percent, and his right lower extremity and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 20 percent. The claims for service connection on remand.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of neck, left knee, and right knee disabilities as they have already been granted in a previous rating decision. The claims of erectile dysfunction and bilateral leg numbness are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot, lumbar spine, and right knee disorders due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence or examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of left shoulder, left knee, and back disabilities before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating were dismissed as the requests for extensions of time to file appeal forms were denied, and no good cause was shown.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees are remanded due to inadequate examinations. A new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of these disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the physical loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands or feet, and therefore, he does not qualify for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance or adaptive equipment.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a right knee disability due to insufficient medical evidence and an inadequate VA examination. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining an adequate VA opinion on the nature and etiology of any diagnosed right knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for his service-connected right knee painful flexion was denied. The evidence showed that the Veteran could still perform daily activities despite having significant pain, and his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under DC 5260.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits, finding that there was no indication in the record of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to January 5, 2021.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and left ankle sprain with tendonitis before the Board. The appeal is dismissed as a result.

The Board denied service connection for right foot, left foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.,Service connection was also denied for left ankle and right ankle disabilities as there is no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee scar as secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee condition, right knee condition, right hip condition, and sleep apnea as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and obtain the Appellant's National Guard service treatment records. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left knee disability, left carpal tunnel syndrome, low back disability, tinnitus, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for her service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by her attorney.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 3, 2011 were denied as the earliest possible effective date is the date of receipt of her claim.,An earlier effective date for service connection was not granted due to lack of a formal or informal claim within one year of discharge from service.