Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral foot condition, left ankle condition, and right foot condition. Service connection was denied for a right ankle condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and generalized osteoarthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, left hip, right ankle, right knee, and left knee disabilities. Service connection was denied for gastroenteritis, respiratory disability (sinusitis and rhinitis), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis with meniscal tear is granted a separate 20% rating, while his other conditions remain at the maximum schedular ratings. The GERD claim was denied and service connection for a cervical spine condition is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of TBI have been found to necessitate a higher level of aid and attendance, warranting SMC(t) from January 6, 2015.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for fatty liver disease. The claims for service connection for headaches and left knee disability are granted.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on right knee chondromalacia, right foot osteoarthritis, and a left foot condition due to untimely filing of VA Form 10182.

The Veteran's left knee meniscal tear with degenerative arthritis, status post partial replacement surgery, has been rated at 10 percent since the initial grant of service connection. The current rating is denied as it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as he did not file a timely substantive appeal following the issuance of a September 2019 Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection claims related to migraines, right knee disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability as secondary to other conditions. The issues were withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service connection claims for chondromalacia of the patella, degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, and degenerative changes in the cervical spine have been granted. The Board found that these conditions are causally related to his military duties.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating of her left knee arthritis with meniscal tear and strain, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, with obesity serving as an intermediary step.

The Veteran's left knee disability and left knee scar were evaluated, with the left knee disability denied for an increased rating. The issues of service connection for osteomyelitis, back disability, and neck disability are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances due to lidocaine cream and patches, finding that they were not related to service-connected skin conditions and did not cause irreparable damage to his outergarments.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted regarding the Veteran's low back disability and right knee disability. The claims are being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastroenteritis, left ear injury pain, left knee injury pain, left thumb injury pain, lumbar spine injury pain, and right great toe injury pain as there is no current diagnosis related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than April 28, 2017 for the grant of service connection for a left knee disability and left ear hearing loss were denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability was also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims due to a failure to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records, which were not considered in the previous rating decision. The SSA records are required for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for patellofemoral pain syndrome, with left knee fracture, status-post open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), patellofemoral pain syndrome, with right knee status post-surgical growth plate arrest and patellofemoral joint arthropathy, and a left foot condition. The Board found no evidence of aggravation during service and insufficient medical evidence to support the Veteran's claims.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeals for restoring his disability ratings for left and right knee disabilities from 20% to 10%, effective February 1, 2016.