Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for entitlement to increased ratings for service-connected right and left knee strains due to incomplete records, including missing private treatment records from a VA provider. The Veteran was not notified of the inability to obtain complete copies of these records, and further development is needed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee disorders due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease with limitation of motion is rated at 10 percent, and his right ankle degenerative joint disease is rated at 20 percent. The appeal for higher ratings remains denied.

Service connection for a right knee disability is denied.,Service connection for a left knee disability and low back disability are granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and left eye disability due to incomplete development of records, including in-patient treatment records from Tripler Army Medical Center. The VA is instructed to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the Veteran's reported in-service injuries and current diagnoses.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10% rating from June 26, 2013. A 60% rating for the right knee disability is granted starting September 1, 2020. The Veteran's prior claims are denied.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for joint pain, fatigue, and increased ratings for bilateral knee conditions are being remanded due to the submission of additional evidence. The claim for an increased rating for posttraumatic headaches is also being remanded as no SOC has been issued yet.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left knee chondromalacia patella and separate rating for left knee instability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 10 percent for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his left knee surgical scar has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, and anxiety) is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to the PACT Act, which requires a medical nexus opinion and examination if a Veteran submits a claim for compensation for a service-connected disability under section 1110 with evidence of participation in toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether any service-connected conditions caused or aggravated the Veteran's headaches. The AOJ is required to obtain addendum medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disorders, including neck, ankle, shoulder, hip, leg, and knee conditions. The remand requires new medical opinions to address the nature and etiology of these disorders in relation to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his failure to attend VA examinations and incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran is also required to provide authorization for VA to obtain private medical records from Emory Healthcare Veterans Program.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions, but has remanded these issues due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claim for sleep apnea is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep disability, bilateral knee disability, cervical spine disability, and left hand disability due to insufficient opinions regarding their relationship to his service-connected disabilities. The VA is required to obtain additional treatment records and provide adequate medical opinions on whether these conditions are related to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The reduction of the rating for left knee instability from 10% to noncompensable was improper, and the 10% rating is restored. The appeal is granted in part.

The Veteran's hypertension has not met the criteria for a higher rating.,There is no evidence of diagnosed bilateral shoulder, low back, left wrist, or knee disabilities. The lung condition and cardiovascular disability are also not supported by evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for right and left knee disorders due to new and material evidence. The remaining issues, including those related to the right forearm/elbow disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and residuals of head injury, are being remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, a back disability, a brain tumor, bilateral eye disorder, a right knee disability, tinnitus, and a headache disorder. The decision found that the Veteran's preexisting hearing loss did not increase in severity during service.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD has been dismissed.,An earlier effective date of September 29, 2015 has been granted for the 70 percent rating for PTSD.,An earlier effective date of September 29, 2015 has also been granted for TDIU.,Special monthly compensation (SMC) pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) has been granted from November 1, 2018.