Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee chondromalacia with degenerative joint disease due to inadequate examination findings. The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for bilateral knee disorder is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability and dismissed his appeal of entitlement to service connection for a left kidney disability from VA's modernized review docket. The Board has also remanded the issue of new and relevant evidence for bilateral porokeratosis of the feet, which was previously denied in 2009.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for his bilateral porokeratosis of the feet, claiming that he first experienced symptoms during service at Camp Lejeune. The Board has found this to be new and relevant evidence.

The Board has found that the April 2021 rating decision did not address the Veteran's claim for clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a May 1996 denial of service connection for a left knee disability. The AOJ is required to process this CUE claim.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, which include bilateral pes planus, right knee strain, left achilles tendon rupture, painful scar associated with left achilles tendon rupture repair, and left foot surgical scar. The Board has granted the TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees, finding that the Veteran's currently diagnosed condition is related to her military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are dismissed as freestanding claims, and the increased rating claims have been remanded due to new evidence of worsening conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for memory loss and insomnia have been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of these issues. The remaining claims (left knee disability, bilateral shin disability, nasal surgery residuals, headaches, to include dizziness, and brain disability) are remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided for the Veteran's right shoulder, right ankle, and bilateral knee disabilities are not compliant with the requirements in Sharp v. Shulkin and Correia v. McDonald. Therefore, these matters must be remanded to obtain new VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right knee strain and his service-connected lumbar spine and left knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as bilateral shin splints, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise with regard to these conditions being incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and tension headaches are granted service connection. The bilateral knee disability and dermatitis/eczema, psoriasis are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left hip disability, and right hip disability. The appeal for a right knee disability is remanded, as well as the one for a low back disability and psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition is remanded due to the need for an examination and medical opinion regarding the etiology of his current diagnosis.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates have been dismissed as the claims were not filed within one year of the final rating decisions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied. The claims for reinstatement of the ratings for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy were dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various knee and spine disabilities due to a lack of VA examinations, which are necessary to determine if there is a link between the claimed conditions and active duty.

The Veteran has withdrawn all issues related to service connection and evaluations for various conditions, including hypertension, hip disabilities, knee disabilities, cervical spine DDD, migraines, and left leg radiculopathy. As a result, the Board dismisses these claims.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is denied. Service connection for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae and Viral Gastroenteritis are also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to duty-to-assist errors, and the Veteran is required to undergo additional examinations and obtain medical opinions regarding her claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted effective June 30, 2017. The Board found that the increase in disability caused by his service-connected conditions made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of this date.