Knee Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection on all claimed conditions due to the appellant's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee pain/strain, left knee pain/strain, a left ankle disability, and tinnitus due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's active service included Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Board has granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as an initial rating for service-connected left Achilles tendonitis. The appellant's left Achilles tendonitis is rated at a 20 percent disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee PFPS and right knee arthritis, but denied the remaining claims including bilateral hearing loss, female problems (including lack of sex drive and fibroids), left hip condition, right hip condition, lower back condition, and bilateral foot condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of all related issues.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations of record are inadequate for adjudication as they did not apply the correct standard of proof, did not address worsening or aggravation, and did not support the findings with an adequate rationale. The Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back, left hip, and right hip disabilities secondary to service-connected disabilities must be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee conditions have been denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 60 percent.,Effective dates earlier than August 16, 2019, are not available due to lack of prior claim or established increase in severity within one year.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain, tibiofemoral chondromalacia, and degenerative joint disease, status post left total knee arthroplasty, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these conditions began during active service.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for left shoulder, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the current ratings of 20% are appropriate based on the evidence showing no limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side in the left shoulder, and no significant impairment in range of motion or function in the lumbar spine and bilateral knees.

The Veteran's appeals for left ankle, right ankle, and low back conditions have been dismissed. The Veteran's right knee disability and OSA were granted service connection.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is rated at 10 percent, the maximum for degenerative arthritis without limitation of motion or instability. The Board found that his flexion was limited to 120 degrees, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions due to a lack of adequate medical opinion in the March 2021 VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee scar is not rated as painful or unstable, and does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,There is insufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition (PTSD) is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for pes planus, right knee disability, and post-operative residuals of tarsal coalition calcaneonavicular, left foot due to inadequate examination reports. The AOJ is instructed to provide a new examination report that addresses functional loss due to repeat use over time and/or flare-ups.

The appeals for reductions in ratings for right knee instability and left knee instability are dismissed.,Entitlement to an initial rating of 10% for limitation of extension of the left knee is granted.,Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10% for the right ankle disability is denied.,Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10% for the surgical scar of the right knee is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is related to an injury sustained during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The claims of entitlement to a compensable rating for migraines, as well as service connection for right shoulder, neck, right knee, and left knee disabilities are still pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder due to lack of current diagnosis and no evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition, left knee condition, back condition, and depression. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and address any pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, is granted service connection due to an in-service injury during his active duty service.