Knee Board decisions

The Board dismissed the appeals for various conditions and issues as they were found to be duplicative.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle sprain, right knee strain, and sinusitis due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining STRs related to his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a duty to assist error in the February 2019 VA examination report. The claims for increased ratings for right knee disability and right knee scar are being remanded to obtain a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder due to lack of evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of February 26, 2010. Effective that date, the Veteran is granted an effective date for his TDIU and eligibility to Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The decision also noted that some issues, such as right knee instability and thoracolumbar scoliosis with DDD and IVDS, are currently rated appropriately.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluation of right knee chondromalacia was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to March 2018. The appeals for left knee condition, hypertension, lower back with bulging disc (now claimed as low back condition), sleep apnea, and right hip trochanteric bursitis, mild osteoarthritis were all denied.

The Board denied increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the left and right knees, as well as a major depressive disorder with anxious distress. The Veteran's knee disabilities were rated at 10 percent each, while his shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, and cervical spine disorder are related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability is being remanded due to the missed examination, and he needs to be provided with an opportunity to undergo a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of OSA and neck strain were denied. The ratings for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, slight instability of the left knee, and instability of the right knee have been granted with specific rating levels.

The Board has determined that there were errors in the VA examination reports and thus remanded for further action on all issues related to service connection and disability ratings.

The Veteran's hypertension, heart disorder, urinary tract disorder, low back disorder, right hip disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are presumed to be related to his service due to herbicide exposure. However, the claims for these conditions prior to August 10, 2022, and other than under the provisions of the PACT Act, are remanded as new evidence is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED for additional development regarding service connection claims for right hip disorder and bilateral knee disorder, as they are secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain. The Board will not make a decision on the increased rating claim for GERD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as a gastrointestinal disability. The reasons include the need for new medical opinions to address the etiology of these conditions on a direct basis.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions are being remanded to obtain missing service records and conduct medical examinations. The specific issues include bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (secondary to other conditions), skeletal arthritis, bowel disorder, low back disorder, hip disorders, knee disorders, and foot disorders.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, right knee, left knee, and hypertension conditions due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence submitted since the most recent Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The issues will be reconsidered by the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) with consideration of this additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the medical opinions regarding the appellant's Crohn's disease are inadequate and remanded for a new opinion. The issues of service connection for various conditions, including depression, gastroparesis, regional enteritis of small intestine, psoriasis, arthritis, and osteoporosis, are also being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back disorder, bilateral hip disorder, left knee disorder, and migraine headaches due to new evidence indicating these conditions may be related to service.