Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims for increased ratings can be adjudicated. The Veteran was remanded for a new VA knee examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee patellar instability is now rated at 20 percent effective February 7, 2021.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for hypertension, a left knee disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, and headaches. The appeals are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the receipt of new evidence that has not been considered by the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Board has granted service connection for lower back condition, upper back condition, right knee condition, and headaches. The decision is based on the Veteran's subjective reports of symptoms during service and continuity since service.

The Veteran's left wrist strain and right ankle sprain are not rated higher than 10 percent.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied, as the Veteran does not have a present hearing disability for VA purposes.,Service connection for lumbosacral strain is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence on file.,Service connection for right knee strain is remanded due to inadequate opinion from the 2014 VA examination.,Service connection for hemorrhoids is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for dermatitis, left knee strain, and right knee strain have been dismissed because the February 2020 rating decision was not an initial decision eligible to opt-in to the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).

The Veteran has withdrawn all appeals, including those for disability ratings and service connection. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the withdrawal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient functional impairment to warrant service connection.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has granted effective dates of May 28, 2014 for the grants of increased ratings for left knee limited extension and instability. The case is remanded for further development regarding other issues including functional loss due to flare-ups and repeated use.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, considering whether his service-connected pansinusitis and/or allergic rhinitis or obesity as an intermediate step caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided were inadequate for the claims of service connection for various knee, ankle, lumbar spine, sleep apnea, and hearing loss disabilities. The Veteran's conditions are being remanded to allow for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including determining the amount of Federal income tax withheld from the Veteran's Special Separation Benefits (SSB) pay in the amount of $21,644.13 and recouping it from his VA disability compensation benefits.

The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain necessary medical opinions as requested in prior remands and thus, another remand is needed to address the service connection claims for various orthopedic disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including VA examinations and medical opinions regarding his service-connected conditions and any potential links to his current disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee meniscal tear have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the appellant.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability has been denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to service or post-service treatment.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been denied due to lack of in-service onset and no link to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been denied because it did not manifest during or within one year after leaving service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and ratings related to various conditions has been dismissed. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right knee, left knee, and right foot disabilities have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee disabilities due to inadequate prior examinations and the need for further development, including obtaining additional VA and private medical records.