Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders have been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from San Diego, California, and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in September 2019 did not adequately address the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral foot and knee conditions. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional opinions from VA examiners that consider all relevant evidence, including the Veteran's military history and specific contentions regarding his injuries during service.

The Board has denied service connection for left knee bone fragments/loose bodies and remanded the issues of service connection for abrasion chondroplasty trochlea, destroyed/removed fat pad, medial and lateral maltracking, and trochlea I and II synovectomy due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right shoulder, ankle, and knee disabilities due to duty to assist errors. VA examinations are required to determine if these conditions are related to the Veteran's service.

The Veteran's appeal challenging the proposed rating reduction from 70 percent to 30 percent for service-connected chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a disability rating greater than 60 percent effective from July 22, 2020, for status-post right total knee replacement with osteoarthritis is denied.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA eligibility are granted effective May 1, 2019. The effective date is exclusive of the temporary total rating periods from August 15, 2019 to October 1, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new examination and opinion regarding range of motion and history of instability.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and right shin splints, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than May 13, 2020, for the temporary total evaluation assigned to his service-connected left knee disability. The evidence did not support a finding that he was unable to work prior to May 13, 2020, as required by the criteria for a temporary total rating under 38 C.F.R. § 4.30.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is entitled to a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of his oral disability, including any neurologic manifestations, as well as his right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted effective June 20, 2020. The Board denied earlier effective dates as the earliest possible date is June 20, 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there are deficiencies in the April 2020 VA examination opinions and a need to address theories of direct service connection, secondary service connection, and obesity aggravation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder strain, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left knee degenerative joint disease. The claim for a painful scar from a left hand/wrist laceration is being remanded.,Service connection was not granted as there is no persuasive evidence that any of these conditions began during active duty or are otherwise related to service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to readjudicate the claims of service connection for a right knee condition, left knee condition, and residual scarring from shell casing burns of upper back/neck. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for readjudicating service connection claims for various conditions, as the underlying merits of these claims have already been adjudicated by the AOJ and the appeal is moot due to finality or lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to procedural errors in docketing under the AMA system.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not have onset in or within one year post-service and were not causally related to his service.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis, finding that the conditions began during service as a farrier.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypothyroidism was dismissed as the RO granted it in a prior decision.,Service connection for hypertension is granted from August 10, 2022, under provisions of the PACT Act. The claim for hypertension before that date remains pending and will be remanded.