Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his knee symptoms and service history.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of right and left knee injuries due to incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's lay statements regarding a plane crash during active duty are considered, but VA examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of his knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's knee conditions, specifically his left knee medial meniscal tear and right knee stability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the claims related to radiculopathy of the upper extremities, ankle sprains, and cervical pain with degenerative arthritis. The Board dismissed these appeals as a result.

The Veteran's appeal to restore service connection for left knee instability is denied due to clear and unmistakable error in the August 2011 rating decision. The initial disability rating for adjustment disorder with mixed depressed and anxious mood remains at 70 percent.

The Board has determined that the claims must be remanded to obtain missing private treatment records and to provide a new VA examination for each of the service-connected conditions. The Veteran's STRs do not contain specific references to these conditions, but he reported experiencing symptoms since service.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left tibia fracture and service connection for his left knee arthritis as secondary to his service-connected left tibia disability were denied.

Service connection for back stiffness with pain is granted. Service connection for left knee impairment, right knee impairment, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee DJD and TKA disabilities have been denied. The initial rating of 10 percent for DJD prior to April 5, 2011, and the subsequent rating of 40 percent from that date until February 1, 2015, are not supported by the evidence. For the period from March 1, 2016, through October 10, 2022, a 30 percent rating is denied, and on or after October 11, 2022, a 60 percent rating is also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records, specifically those from UC Davis Medical Group and Dr. Boyd, which are necessary to determine the history of the Veteran's right knee condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right knee disability and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran's current disabilities are not presumed, and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of permanent aggravation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain a retrospective functional impairment opinion addressing the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to February 17, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left knee disability and an earlier effective date for TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and analysis.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, left knee strain, and TMJ left side are all found to be at least as likely as not caused by her service. The right knee strain is denied due to lack of contemporaneous documentation. The tension headaches and cervical strain are also found to be related to the Veteran's service.,The Veteran's current diagnoses of lumbar strain, left knee strain, TMJ left side, tension headaches, and cervical strain have been determined to be at least as likely as not caused by her military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Bilateral hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a disability. The claim is denied.,Left knee disorder and right knee disorder are not shown to be related to military service. The claims are denied.,Low back disorder is not shown to be related to military service. The claim is denied.,Sleep apnea is not shown to be related to military service. The claim is denied.

The Board has found that there is not sufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's current diagnoses are not related to his active duty service.,Regarding arthritis of the left wrist, left knee, and ankles, the Board has found that there is insufficient evidence to determine if these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, low back, and neck conditions. The claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded.,There was no persuasive evidence to support a relationship between the Veteran's current knee or back conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disability, headaches, and left knee disability are granted. The Veteran is assigned a noncompensable rating for her right knee stress fracture.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left knee disability is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is remanded.