Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including private treatment records from a motor vehicle accident.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for left leg pain and right leg pain. The claims of service connection for a left hip condition, a right hip condition, and a left knee condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chest pain has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for a bilateral foot disability on the basis of aggravation of a preexisting condition was also denied due to lack of evidence showing an increase in severity during service.,Claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities were denied because there is no evidence of record indicating that the Veteran had these conditions at the time she filed her claim or in close proximity to when she filed her claim.,Service connection for a shoulder disability was denied due to lack of evidence showing the condition existed at the time the Veteran filed her claim or in close proximity to when she filed her claim.,The claims for service connection for low back disability are being remanded.

Your claim for service connection for your left knee condition has been granted, but the issue was deferred initially and is now dismissed as there are no further appeals to be made.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right lower extremity neurological disorder is denied. The RO granted an increased disability rating of 10 percent for GERD from June 24, 2022, and denied claims for increased ratings for dermatitis, back disability, left lower extremity sciatica, and knee strains.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to scheduling issues with VA examinations. The Board will attempt to schedule the necessary examinations at the closest VA Medical Center to the Veteran's home.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis with meniscal tear, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are continuous since service and warrant presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD, anxiety condition/sleep disturbances is characterized by reduced reliability and productivity. The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the period from June 14, 2021, to August 8, 2023.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and knee disability. The evidence shows he can perform many daily activities with some assistance.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disorders due to a lack of current disability or functional impairment during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a skin condition other than tinea pedis, tinnitus, left groin strain, right hip condition, and right knee condition are all denied as there is no evidence of the claimed conditions during or after service.,Specifically, the Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions. The claims for tinnitus, left groin strain, and right hip condition were remanded due to incomplete medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the claims for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder with drug abuse, left knee disability, right knee disability, left wrist disability, and right wrist disability are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The claim for gout is also remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than May 16, 2017, and for a compensable initial evaluation for service-connected residual scar s/p right knee meniscectomy were denied. The Board found that the criteria for both claims were not met.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's disability rating for degenerative joint disease of the right knee was reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent. The Board has now restored the original 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for an initial 60 percent evaluation for service-connected GERD has been granted. The Board also remanded the claims for cervical spine disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease is related to his in-service injury, but an addendum opinion is needed to clarify this relationship and address any relevant medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for left and right knee disabilities, as well as a back disability, are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.

The Board has denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and left ear hearing loss, finding no current diagnosis or evidence of such conditions during the appeal period.,For the period on appeal, the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was rated as noncompensable due to having a puretone threshold at 52.5 decibels with an average score of 52.5 and a speech recognition score of 98%.