Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for a higher rating for left knee disability and TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining SSA records and arranging for an examination of the Veteran's left knee.

The Veteran's GERD, elbow disorders, shoulder disorders, low back disorder, hip conditions, and knee conditions are being remanded for further examination and opinion to address the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at the maximum schedular rating of 50 percent effective March 29, 2022.,The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is denied a higher than 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted a 20 percent rating effective March 13, 2025.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the impact of medication on his symptoms.

The Board has granted effective dates of June 21, 2011 for the service connection of left and right knee instability.

The Veteran's application for eligibility to enroll in VA's PCAFC was denied due to not meeting the medical eligibility criteria. The Board has ordered a remand because there is a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding an inadequate medical opinion from the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT).

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee degenerative arthritis is being remanded due to an inadequate examination report from November 2020. The Board will schedule the Veteran for a new examination to assess the current severity of his disability and provide updated range of motion measurements.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disabilities and for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to a duty to assist error in prior examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disorder. Service connection for abdominal pain is denied.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been presented since the June 2019 rating decision, warranting readjudication of the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral eye condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and left ankle condition. The case is being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has granted compensation for chronic osteomyelitis of the right lower extremity with a below-the-knee amputation due to negligence by VA treatment providers.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis and right knee arthritis, finding that additional medical opinions are needed to address functional loss due to flare-ups or repeated use over time.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The decision found that the Veteran did not have current disabilities of these conditions as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's left knee, left hip, and right hip degenerative arthritis are granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee degenerative arthritis.,The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine is remanded due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hip strain, right knee sprain, left knee sprain, right leg shin splints, and left leg shin splints with lumbar spine strain are all found to have onset during service. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional records and a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected migraine headaches, depressive disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and left knee limitation of flexion. The earliest effective date assigned was February 10, 2024, for migraine headaches.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in calculating the recoupment of separation pay from the Veteran's VA disability compensation payments. The AOJ needs to conduct a paid and due audit to determine the proper amount of recoupment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for each of his claimed orthopedic conditions, and there is no evidence to support a finding that any such disabilities are related to service.,Service connection was denied for all of the Veteran's orthopedic complaints as they were not shown to be related to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that his current diagnosis of left knee strain is related to injuries sustained during active military service.