Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to service connection for SOB, headaches disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and left ankle and left knee disorders due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, as well as her claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being remanded for further development including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for an examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed. The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and anal fistulotomy, both rated at 100%.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the Veteran's left knee disability, including during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for left leg muscle injury, including left thigh muscle strain, left knee strain, and left knee meniscal tear. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to inadequate examination opinions. Additional evidence is needed, including VA Employee Health records and private treatment records from Arkansas Pain Center.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate development of evidence, including obtaining a new retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability throughout the entire appeal period and updating treatment records.

The Veteran's right eye and hypertension disability claims have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability has been granted service connection, but his hypertension rating remains at 10 percent.,Service connection for OSA is granted based on evidence in relative equipoise regarding its onset during service.,Left knee and right shoulder disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.,An initial compensable rating for insomnia is also remanded.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability may be secondary to his left shoulder or cervical spine disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and thoracic outlet syndrome should be remanded due to an error in the review system.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chest pain was dismissed. The claim for reopening of his left knee disability was granted, and he is now entitled to a left knee disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling examinations. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection or increased ratings for various conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining retrospective medical opinions to assess the severity of his condition prior to June 14, 2022.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, including DJD with torn medial meniscus and left hamate fracture residuals, were granted increased ratings. Separate ratings were assigned for the left knee DJD, torn medial meniscus, instability, and peripheral neuropathy/CTS. The right knee DJD was also granted an increased rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his service-connected right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess whether the Veteran experiences symptoms representing functional equivalent of ankylosis during flare-ups.

The Veteran's GAD claim is remanded as the examiner did not consider all symptoms, including those related to flare-ups and cognitive impairment.,The respiratory condition claim is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions that did not consider the Veteran's service records or his theory of secondary service connection based on CML.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation from August 25, 2015 to January 16, 2018. The Board granted a TDIU during this period.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to attend a VA examination for his right knee disability. The examiner will be asked to provide current findings regarding all symptoms associated with the service-connected right knee disability and opine on its severity, including during flare-ups.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee conditions as there is no evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as his claims for service connection for left and right leg disabilities other than shin splints. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's right knee disability, maxillary sinusitis, and rhinitis. The issues include increased ratings for these conditions, service connection for rhinitis as secondary to sinusitis, and a TDIU claim. Additional development is needed to obtain relevant medical records and provide an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's symptoms.