Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions due to insufficient evidence on whether these conditions are related to his service, particularly his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's left knee condition, including patellofemoral pain syndrome and stress fracture with shin splints, is rated at 10 percent for limitation of motion. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for symptomatic residuals of removal of semilunar cartilage.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral foot disability, neck disability, and right knee disability due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA need to be confirmed, and etiological opinions are required.

The Veteran's right knee instability is granted a 20 percent rating, but no higher. The Veteran's PTSD and right knee conditions are not rated above the current levels.

The Veteran's claims for erectile dysfunction and sinusitis have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of erectile dysfunction or sinusitis, nor has he been treated for these conditions.,The Veteran's claims for bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), headaches with fatigue, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), right shoulder disability, bilateral foot disability, and right knee disability have not been addressed in this decision.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran is also granted special monthly compensation due to the need for higher level aid and attendance related to his traumatic brain injury.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for higher evaluations of his service-connected left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence at the time of the December 2019 rating decision, including a lack of range of motion testing in degrees.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are not service-connected, as they are linked to obesity and age rather than military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability with limitation of extension, effective September 26, 1974. The initial rating for this condition is remanded.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates for service connection of right and left knee disabilities, as well as right and left ankle disabilities. The Veteran's claims were continuously pursued from July 9, 2019, and the effective dates are based on these pursuit dates.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been denied. The Board has remanded the cases for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence being added to his case file and because of the need for updated VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a lateral meniscal tear of the left knee is reopened, and the case is remanded to obtain a new VA medical opinion regarding whether his pre-existing condition was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient evidence in the claims file, particularly regarding a meniscal injury found during a private examination. The Board requires a VA examination to address these issues and provide a proper rating for her left knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 5, 2016. The Board granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further review and consideration of additional evidence, including VA examination reports.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU from September 1, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further action due to a lack of compliance with previous remand instructions regarding functional loss in knee examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee, left ankle, right ankle, left hip, and right hip osteoarthritis due to a lack of adequate examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his in-service injury and his current condition.