Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, which was pre-existing and noted in service treatment records, was aggravated by his active-duty service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee tendinitis, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current condition and active service.

The Veteran's left knee and right shoulder disabilities are granted service connection, while his sleep apnea is denied. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is granted with an effective date of August 16, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip osteoarthritis and knee conditions have been granted. The claims for service connection for the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are being remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it began in service and has been continuous since then.,Service connection for GERD is remanded due to insufficient evidence addressing the relationship between the condition and service-connected right ankle sprain.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in excess of the current 10 percent ratings for bilateral hearing loss, right foot degeneration with arthritic changes, left knee degeneration with limitation of flexion, right knee degeneration with limitation of flexion, left knee degeneration with limitation of extension, right knee osteoarthritis with limitation of extension, and right knee meniscal tear have all been denied. The Veteran's hearing loss is rated at 0 percent due to the exceptional pattern in his right ear. His foot and knee disabilities are currently rated as 10 percent each.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right elbow disabilities, a left shoulder disability, and a right knee disability due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining VA treatment records from March 2018 to May 2019.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee, right knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new etiology opinions regarding the onset of these conditions in service.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that it did not warrant a higher rating due to limited flexion of the knee.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral knee strain, and back strain. Service connection was denied for left bicep disorder due to lack of a current diagnosis or evidence linking the condition to an in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's periodontal disease is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.,The VA must provide a VA examination for foot disorders due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The examiner will determine if the current foot disorder is at least as likely as not related to service.,The VA must provide a VA examination for knee disorders due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The examiner will determine if the current knee disorder is at least as likely as not related to service.,The VA must provide a VA examination for back disorders due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The examiner will determine if the current back disorder is at least as likely as not related to service.,The VA must provide a VA examination for elbow disorders due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The examiner will determine if the current elbow disorder is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's chondromalacia, right knee is rated at 10% and the instability of the right knee is also rated at 10%. The Board granted a TDIU effective October 17, 2019.

The Board has granted TDIU prior to October 1, 2023, but the case is remanded for extraschedular consideration of TDIU from October 1, 2023.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 70% rating for other specified anxiety disorder is dismissed. The claims for higher ratings for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome are denied, but the Veteran is granted TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and MDD, have rendered her unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment as of September 1, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various shoulder and knee disorders due to toxic environmental exposures. Additional evidence is needed, including addendum opinions addressing the synergistic effect of all toxic exposure risk activities.

The Veteran's claims for accrued benefits based on service connection for PTSD and left ear hearing loss have been granted. The remaining claims are remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hand, left hand, right knee, and left knee arthritis are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence relevant to these issues.

The Veteran's skin condition and right knee disability were denied, while the claim for service connection for tinnitus was remanded.,The Veteran's skin condition did not meet criteria for a compensable rating. The right knee disability was also denied as it did not show limitation of motion or instability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a right knee disability is remanded due to the VA Regional Office failing to obtain an adequate opinion on direct service connection.