Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the cases for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right knee arthritis, diabetes mellitus type II, and loss of teeth/gum condition. The issues are being remanded to determine if service connection can be established.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals seeking service connection for disabilities of both wrists and both knees, as well as compensable ratings for service-connected hypertension, GERD, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of left knee instability and service connection for bilateral shoulder disability are remanded due to insufficient examination, missing treatment records, and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a sleep disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and joint pain due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and degenerative joint disease, as well as his left knee condition, right knee condition, right ankle condition, and left ankle condition do not meet or approximate the criteria for service connection.,Service connection was denied because there is no credible evidence showing that any current disability began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back spasms, left rotator cuff disability, and right knee disability as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and additional evidence is needed for a proper evaluation of the Veteran's right total knee replacement.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and procedural errors in obtaining his military records.

The Veteran's OSA, tinnitus, GERD, and IBS were all found to have onset during service. Service connection was granted for these conditions.,Fatigue disability, right knee disability, and liver disability are still under review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee conditions due to a lack of probative value in the January 2019 VA opinion, which did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuity of symptomatology. The Board also requested an addendum medical opinion from an appropriate clinician.

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

The Veteran's annual clothing allowance for his left knee brace was granted, but the claim for his back brace remains pending due to missing records.,It is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's left knee brace caused wear and tear on his clothing in 2020.

The Veteran's claims for right and left foot disabilities have been reopened. The Board has remanded the cases of right ankle, right knee, and right elbow disabilities.,Service connection for eye disability (glaucoma) is also remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and TB are denied. The right knee disability claim is remanded.,For tinnitus, the evidence does not establish a current disability or relate it to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for his right knee, lumbar spine, left shoulder, and right ankle disabilities are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ must obtain new VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected left knee chondromalacia.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with MCL strain, finding that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for right and left knee strains. The AOJ must now review these claims on their merits.

The Board has decided to remand the issues of whether a reduction in evaluation from 20 percent to a 10 percent rating for service-connected left knee disability was proper and entitlement to an initial compensable rating for service connection left knee disability based on limitation of extension.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, which was caused by his service-connected mental disabilities. As a result, the appellant's claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is moot and dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a left knee disability, tinea versicolor, and elevated liver enzymes have been denied. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), fatigue secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder, and insomnia secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder.,The Veteran was provided with VA examinations in October 2020 for his left knee disability, tinea versicolor, and elevated liver enzymes. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran does not have a current left knee disability, tinea versicolor is not related to service, and abnormal liver enzymes are not a disability for which service connection can be established under VA regulations.