Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, kidney disability, skin condition, right hand tremors, left hand disability, right knee condition, left knee condition, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, lower bilateral gout, and sleep apnea are not related to service. As a result, the claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis and instability are now rated at 30 percent effective October 7, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, concluding that there is no evidence to support a link between his in-service injury and his current condition.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, including whether it was aggravated by service.

The Veteran was found unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected PTSD, which prevented him from working. The Board granted a TDIU rating for the period from August 28, 2018, to April 8, 2021.

The Veteran's death was not due to willful misconduct, but his death was not the result of a condition that he had been rated as totally disabled for at least 10 years prior to his death. The appeal is remanded to obtain outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or entitlement to higher ratings for his hip, knee, foot, and ankle conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for psoriasis and related psoriatic arthritis of various joints has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran's psoriasis started during service and continued to present, establishing a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for her service-connected right knee disability and TDIU prior to July 2, 2012 are remanded due to conflicting information regarding the presence of a meniscus condition. Additional evidence is needed from an examiner.

The Board has restored the original disability ratings of 60 percent for both right and left knee disabilities, effective February 1, 2020, as the VA Regional Office did not schedule a predetermination hearing prior to reducing these ratings.

The Board has determined that there are pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the service connection determinations for right ankle, left ankle, and left knee disabilities. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is already conceded by the RO. Therefore, these cases are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the reduction of his left knee strain disability rating from 30 percent to 10 percent due to a clear and unmistakable error in an August 2020 decision. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's bilateral hip strain and knee strain are related to service, but the issue of acquired psychiatric disorder (to include sleep apnea) is remanded for further development.,Additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD or GAD, and whether his acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claims for left knee disorder and right knee disorder are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for his left knee disabilities and service connection for residuals of a head injury and aortic aneurysm are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also being remanded as it was reasonably raised by the Veteran prior to the August 2023 rating decision on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, left foot disability and right foot disability, bilateral knee strain (left and right), and right hip disability due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a psychiatric disorder due to lack of sufficient evidence and need for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for obstructive sleep apnea was denied, while his claim for TDIU was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and left ankle disabilities to include osteoarthritis. The kidney disability claim is also remanded.