Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including right knee disability, left knee injury, arthritis, chest scar, blurred vision, high blood pressure, and shoulder injuries. The decision does not address dental scars or provide a rating assigned.

The Veteran's left knee strain with osteoarthritis and patellofemoral syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating. The Veteran's left knee instability has been granted an increased rating to 20 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the right and left knee disabilities, so these issues are dismissed.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, right knee strain, and bilateral foot pain as he elected to pursue a supplemental claim. The appeal of his lumbosacral strain disability rating is denied as it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error. The issues of entitlement to service connection for high cholesterol, bilateral knee disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and an eye disorder are all being remanded.

The Board has determined that new evidence was received to warrant readjudicating the Veteran's claims for service connection. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his left and right knee disabilities as the appeal was not filed within one year after receipt of a VA decision, and it is not a valid opt-in to the modernized appeal system.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a rating in excess of 10 percent for her left knee disability, finding no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to support an increased rating.

The Veteran's left knee DJD with shin splints was not found to warrant a rating higher than 10 percent prior to July 28, 2020.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, low back pain, left shoulder pain, and left knee pain due to insufficient evidence. The claim for hidradenitis remains denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, left hip disability, left shoulder disability, and right knee disability due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability and secondary service connection for left knee disability as related to right knee disability due to insufficient evidence of a medical nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the 50 percent evaluation of bilateral plantar fasciitis with toe deformities is denied.,The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee disorder and lower back disorder due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence to readjudicate the claims of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee conditions. The AOJ will now consider these claims on their merits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral foot pes planus and knee conditions, require the need for regular aid and attendance due to his inability to perform daily activities such as cooking meals and bathing.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of headaches is granted, with the effective date set at December 7, 2009. The Veteran previously sought service connection for headaches in October 1995 and again in December 2009.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. The appeal is being remanded for further development, including an opinion from a clinician regarding causation and aggravation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to February 16, 2016 for entitlement to TDIU and basic eligibility to DEA due to lack of factual ascertainability of increase in disability warranting these benefits between March 2, 2015 and February 15, 2016.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, and will now consider whether the Veteran's current right knee disabilities are related to service, including his parachute and air assault jumps.