Knee Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for left ankle, left knee, and right knee disabilities as well as bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence did not show the presence of these conditions during or within one year after active duty service, nor were they shown to have been incurred in line of duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his requests through his representative in January 2022.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for headaches, left ankle strain, right ankle strain, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee degenerative arthritis have been granted. The claim for unstable angina and arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) has been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for further consideration due to the need for additional medical examinations and information.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient VA evaluations regarding the Veteran's arthritic disabilities, other than those already service-connected.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain adequate VA opinions regarding the Veteran's right foot hammer toes, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea and low back disability has been reopened, but the claims are still pending as new evidence did not establish a current disability or link to service.,The Veteran's claim for chronic sinusitis is being remanded due to its potential secondary relationship with his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board found that the left knee disability was rated appropriately, but the right knee disability required further examination.

The Board has restored the previously assigned disability ratings for right and left knee instability, finding that the reductions were not proper. The Veteran was granted TDIU due to multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim to reopen a previously denied service connection for back condition is granted. The Board has remanded the cases of residuals of left buttock hematoma, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to additional development being required.

The Board has determined that remand is necessary for the bilateral knee disorders and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) claims due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives.

The claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right ear hearing loss, low back disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and a right ankle disability are being reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The VA has ordered additional examinations for left ear hearing loss and potential service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right knee chondromalacia and aorta residuals due to inadequate examination reports, need for retrospective opinions, and new evidence received since the last SSOC.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including DJD and instability, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has granted a separate 20 percent rating for instability prior to July 6, 2023, and a 30 percent rating from that date onwards.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include depression, sleep apnea and bilateral knee disabilities have been reopened. The Board finds that more development is necessary prior to final adjudication of these claims.,The Veteran should be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed acquired psychiatric disorder to include depression disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, all of a common etiology, have rendered him unemployable from performing all forms of substantially gainful employment that are consistent with his education and occupational experience since April 3, 2021. The Board is granting TDIU effective April 3, 2021, but remanding the issues for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee condition, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current left knee disability is not related to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot conditions and a left knee condition due to insufficient medical opinions considering lay statements of prior issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability had its onset during service and is related to an in-service injury, granting his claim for service connection.