Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's service records and the need to obtain relevant medical records, including SSA disability benefits records and private treatment records. The effective date claim remains pending.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated as analogous to traumatic arthritis under Diagnostic Code 5010. The ratings for the right and left knees are denied, but separate evaluations of 10% each for instability are granted.

The Board has reopened the previously denied service connection claims for left foot, cervical spine, and left knee disorders due to new and material evidence. The cases are being remanded for further evaluations.

The Veteran's back, left and right hip, and left and right knee conditions are granted service connection. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder has been reopened, and the case is remanded for further development. The left knee posttraumatic degenerative arthritis evaluation is also being remanded.

The Board denied service connection for hernia, status post repair, a surgical scar associated with the hernia repair, left knee disorder, right hand disorder, and left hand disorder. The Board found that there is no evidence of a significant injury or condition during service that would cause these conditions more than 20 years after separation from service.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee disability and TDIU due to unclear representation and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's representative needs clarification on whether his spouse can act as a VA representative, and additional private medical records are needed.

The Veteran's sinusitis is granted service connection due to exposure to burn pits during service. The appeal for the initial rating of TBI with PTSD is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal. Service connection for right knee and low back disabilities are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the current condition did not manifest during or within one year after service and is not otherwise related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder, thoracolumbar spine sprain with degenerative changes, and bilateral knee conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left knee disability was dismissed due to his death, as the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has remanded the cases due to additional VA treatment records being added to the claims file, and the Veteran wishes for these records to be reviewed by the AOJ.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected left total knee arthroplasty and left knee scar, including earlier effective dates for these conditions and increased ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding the issues of service connection for low back, left elbow, and left knee conditions, as well as an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disorder, and denied service connection for left knee and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for the issues of service connection for left ear hearing loss, left shoulder condition, and left knee condition.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including left ear hearing loss, cervical spine disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, sinusitis, and rhinitis. The matters are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's cervical strain and left foot condition are granted, but the right hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities remain unresolved. The Board has ordered remand for further examination to determine if these conditions are related to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating beyond the current 10 percent assigned under Diagnostic Code 5260.