Knee decisions — 2024

Your appeal concerning your knee, foot, and spine conditions has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The case will not be considered further until a request for substitution is made by an eligible person.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's claims of service connection for asbestosis, lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, and right knee strain are pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability and his right knee arthritis. The claim will be reviewed again with a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable and higher ratings for left knee chondromalacia patella, limitation of flexion and extension are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the March 2022 VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee strain is granted as service-connected.,A 30 percent rating for right knee meniscal tear with ACL sprain based on limitation of flexion is granted, and a separate 20 percent rating but no higher for moderate joint instability is also granted.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with meniscal tear is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted based on additional range of motion testing during flare-ups.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including right knee disability, left hand disability, vitamin deficiency, LUE nerve damage, RUE nerve damage, and RLE nerve damage. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals from a surgical repair of a left eye retinal detachment, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and bilateral knee conditions are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's service connection claim for chronic fatigue syndrome is also remanded as the VA examiner failed to provide an opinion regarding whether his condition was secondary to obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board is remanding the claims of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's right knee disability was diagnosed prior to and during service as PFS with instability, but VA failed to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding whether it clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service or if it was aggravated by service.

The Board finds the VA medical opinions in April 2014 are inadequate and remands for new opinions to determine if the Veteran's right hip, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are related to her military service.

The Veteran's claims for residuals of a right rib fracture and dermatophytosis (claimed as eczema) have been granted. Claims for hyperlipidemia, elevated liver enzymes, posttraumatic stress disorder, alopecia totalis, iliotibial band syndrome of the left knee, cervical spine disability, voiding dysfunction, benign neoplasm of the skin, right ankle disability, right elbow disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability have been denied. The Veteran's claims for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity secondary to service-connected spinal stenosis are remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for increased ratings for a right hip strain and a left knee disability as the appellant requested to withdraw the appeal.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for various conditions and revisions to evaluations. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because he did not meet the durational requirement for a total disability rating in existence during his lifetime.

Your appeal for increased ratings for your right and left knee disabilities has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's right knee disabilities were granted service connection and an increased rating. Other conditions, including IBS, bilateral hip disabilities, left knee disabilities, and hypothyroidism, received increased ratings.

The Board has decided to remand the appeal due to errors in prior examinations and the need for additional records, including employment and treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The claims for increased ratings of the left ankle, right knee, left knee, and right ligament conditions have been remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as incurred in service due to noise exposure during military service.,The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as incurred and caused by injuries sustained during active service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee condition, finding that it is related to his military service and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.