Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee disability, migraines, and back disability have been reopened. The claim for tinnitus has been granted as it is attributable to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee disability, sleep apnea, sinusitis, CFS, and rhinitis due to insufficient evidence or need for further clarification.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as service-connected. The issues of compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and bilateral flat feet are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, disability ratings, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for further development including VA medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin condition under the presumptive provisions for certain disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf veterans. The Veteran's claims for left and right knee disabilities are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher initial ratings and service connection determinations due to missing examinations, scheduling issues, and additional Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeals for right knee patella dislocation and pilonidal sinus/cyst due to inadequate examinations in the prior rating decisions. The Veteran will need new examinations to assess his functional impairment and determine an appropriate disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left knee, right knee, and lumbar spine degenerative joint diseases are being remanded.,Further investigation is needed to determine the validity of these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for verification of duty status. The claims will be reviewed again with new examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability and headaches, but denied service connection for atrial fibrillation and right knee osteoarthritis. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible reports of onset during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were granted, with effective dates of March 13, 2017. The SMC claim was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the proximate cause of the Veteran's left knee disability post-arthroplasty was carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on VA's part.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's condition did not onset in-service or manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation.,Service connection was also denied for a left knee disorder due to lack of evidence showing continuity of symptomatology since service. The Board noted that the Veteran's current diagnosis is most likely age-related.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied. The lumbar spine disability rating was restored, but the headaches claim was not granted an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The effective date of the right ankle scar was fixed at July 28, 2016. Other claims are pending.

The Veteran's service connection for a thyroid disorder is denied, and a 20 percent rating for left knee instability is granted. The issue of increased rating for left knee limitation of motion remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee degenerative arthritis, as well as right and left knee chondrocalcinosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection to hypertension is denied. The claims for increased ratings of anxiety disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disorder, and right knee disorder are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional records and further review of the claims, including those related to effective dates.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left ankle disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing causation or aggravation.