Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities were granted increased ratings of 30 percent each from October 17, 2014 to February 8, 2023.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee and left knee disabilities, but has remanded the cases of right hip and left hip disabilities.,Service connection was not granted for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation due to unclear functional loss associated with the service-connected right knee and left knee disabilities, as well as the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's right knee strain has been granted service connection. The initial rating for left knee strain remains denied, and a separate rating of 10 percent is granted for left knee instability.,Service connection for bilateral hand condition and bilateral foot condition are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar spine disorder, and the remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claim for service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is granted. The claims for service connection for Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, and Sleep Apnea are remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied due to the lack of corroborated in-service stressor. The right knee disability claim is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, right knee, and PTSD disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to November 30, 2018. The Board has remanded the matter for extraschedular TDIU consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding medical records and additional evidence. The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records, consider all added evidence on remand, and provide examinations to determine if his right knee disability is related to service or service-connected bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, as well as whether any lower extremity disabilities are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of this condition.,Service connection for depression is denied because there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or treatment related to the claimed disability.,The Veteran's claims for right hand and left knee disabilities are denied due to lack of diagnosed conditions.,Left hip disability claim is also denied as there is no current diagnosis.,New and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for spina bifida, thus the claim remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a sleep disorder is dismissed as the appellant withdrew his claims prior to the promulgation of a decision. The Board also remanded several other issues including service connection for bilateral foot disability, chronic fatigue, major depressive disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee strain with history of Baker's cyst and effusion, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU), and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need of regular aid and attendance of another.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to provide a reasoned medical explanation. The issues include left knee, bilateral hip, bilateral leg, back, gastrointestinal, and hypertension disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee condition and TDIU claim prior to December 2, 2015. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's bilateral knee disability was incurred in or related to his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, finding that his current condition is not causally related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, Tietze syndrome, migraine headache, left knee, right hip, and bilateral foot disabilities (hyperhidrosis) have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or a causal link to the Veteran's military service.,There is insufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claims for these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 30 percent for flexion limited to 15 degrees, with additional functional loss during flare-ups. Separate ratings are denied for extension issues.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at a 10 percent rating since October 9, 2014.,The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their relationship to his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment effective April 22, 2023.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, along with other non-service-connected disabilities, renders him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and ensuring compliance with all directives.