Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted a 20% rating, effective January 24, 2023. The right knee retropatellar pain syndrome is denied any increase in rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current left knee disability is directly related to his service or secondary to a pre-existing condition. The Veteran contends that cellulitis resulting from an in-service injury to his left heel caused septic arthritis, which led to his current left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and traumatic brain injury due to incomplete information from the Veteran regarding his employment history.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly rate the Veteran's bilateral knee and right wrist disabilities, including obtaining new VA examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and right knee disability as secondary to his service-connected intervertebral disc degeneration due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as the schedular criteria for TDIU were not met prior to April 1, 2015. The effective date of TDIU cannot be earlier than the effective date of service connection for the underlying disability or disabilities upon which the TDIU is based.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including low back condition, cervical spine condition, knee conditions, shoulder conditions, peripheral neuropathy, and thyroid condition. The effective dates are not specified.

The Veteran's left and right knee conditions have been rated at 40 percent for the entire period on appeal, with separate ratings of 10 percent for flexion and instability. The Veteran's claims are granted.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back conditions due to incomplete medical records and inadequate examination.

The Veteran's detached retina with decreased vision began during active service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The other issues on appeal are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy is dismissed as the disability has already been granted. Service connection for a cervical spine disability is granted, with all doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, left foot disability, right hand disability, and right knee disability due to a full grant of benefits in a February 2021 rating decision. The appeals regarding obstructive sleep apnea and lower back disability are remanded.

The appeal for an increased rating for a lumbar spine disability has been withdrawn. The appeals for the left ankle, left knee, left shoulder, and right ankle disabilities are being remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various shoulder and knee conditions, increased ratings for knee disabilities, and an effective date for hearing loss. Additional evidence was added since the last rating decision but not considered by the AOJ.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis and bilateral ankle osteoarthritis, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and bilateral knee conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the nature, extent, and severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disorder and instability are being remanded for further development. Service connection is also being remanded for sleep disturbances, sleep apnea, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for personality disorder, eating disorder, left and right ankle conditions with OA, right and left knee conditions with OA, OSA, hip strains, lumbar spine DDD, and neuropathy of the lower extremities. The reasons for remand include obtaining additional opinions regarding the etiology of these disabilities and whether they are related to service-connected disabilities or obesity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee strain due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the severity of his knee disabilities during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and denied them. Service connection was also denied for a bilateral eye disability. Increased ratings were denied for allergic rhinitis, hypertension, osteoarthritis and traumatic arthritis of the right knee, hallux valgus of the right foot, and hallux valgus of the left foot.