Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's knee injuries, as they are not clear if related to service or other conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a surgical scar on the right knee due to incomplete records and further verification needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for residuals of left knee injury, tinnitus, bilateral shin splints, and sinusitis, allergic rhinitis due to insufficient development of the record.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, left knee, and right knee disorders due to insufficient development of evidence.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, and he had a combined 70% service-connected disability rating at the time of his death. However, since none of his service-connected disabilities were rated as totally disabling, the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are not met.

The Veteran's right knee and left foot conditions have been granted service connection.,A 10 percent rating for degenerative disease of the left knee has been restored effective September 2, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right knee disability and for a TDIU claim due to inconsistencies in the September 2020 VA examination report, as well as unclear employment status.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heart disability, left knee disability, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, cervical spine disability, migraine headache disability as secondary to service-connected cervical spine disability, and urinary urgency disability as secondary to unspecified anxiety disorder are all granted.,The appeal for teeth grinding has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's knee disabilities are currently rated based on their current functional limitations, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted for any of his claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right knee disabilities, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss are rated at 10 percent each.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD and denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative joint disease with chronic effusion. The case is remanded for further action on the PTSD issue.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disorder. The claim is granted to this extent only.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for emphysema, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and left elbow disorder were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or link to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating and service connection due to procedural issues, but did not specify a new effective date or assign a specific rating.

PTSD service connection is dismissed.,Right and left knee disabilities are characterized by pain and limited range of motion in flexion and extension. The Veteran's right knee disability warrants a rating of 20 percent, but no higher, from December 10, 2020. Left knee disability also warrants a rating of 20 percent, but no higher, from the same date.,Cervical strain is characterized by pain and limitation of motion. The Veteran's cervical strain warrants a rating of 30 percent, but no higher, since December 10, 2020.,Lumbosacral strain is characterized by forward flexion limited to fewer than 30 degrees from the date specified. From that date, it warrants a rating of 40 percent, but no higher.,Left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are secondary to lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on his service-connected left wrist fracture, lumbar strain, left hip bursitis, and degenerative changes to the left knee are being remanded due to a lack of recent VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition, finding that there is not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence to support the claim. The persuasive weight of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's current left knee tendonitis began in service or is etiologically related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) and inadequacy of the October 2023 addendum opinion. The SSOC was not issued on the issue of service connection for a bilateral knee disability, and the addendum opinion did not adequately address the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete adjudication, and requires issuance of a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).