Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee disability, including osteoarthritis, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and chondromalacia, is related to in-service injuries. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's left and right shoulder conditions, as well as his DDD of the lumbar spine and degenerative arthritis of the right knee, are all granted service connection based on their relationship to his service-connected right paravertebral muscles myositis, trapezius and rhomboid.

The claims for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and right knee degenerative arthritis have been dismissed.,A new claim for service connection for a heart condition, including coronary artery disease with triple bypass and stents, has been granted. The appeal is granted to this extent only.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee conditions due to insufficient consideration of relevant medical history and lay statements in the January 2023 VA examination.

The reduction of the disability rating for right knee arthroplasty from 60% to 30% was not proper, and a restoration of a 60% rating is warranted.

The Veteran's arthritis of the bilateral feet, low back pain, right knee pain, osteoarthritis of the left shoulder, and bilateral hearing loss were all granted service connection as they are considered direct service-connected disabilities.,Service connection was established for these conditions based on their onset during periods of active duty.

The Veteran withdrew all claims, including the right knee strain appeal, before a decision was made by the Board.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for right and left knee PFS have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Separate issues of entitlement to compensable initial disability ratings for right and left knee instability prior to May 27, 2022, are also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected eye and knee disabilities cause severe occupational limitations, preventing him from maintaining gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected back and knee disabilities was denied. The rating for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and compression fractures of T8-T10, status post lumbar fusion is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes. Ratings for radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve in both lower extremities are granted at 40 percent. Ratings for left knee strain with limitation of flexion and right knee status-post operative torn meniscus (limitation of extension) are denied as they do not meet the criteria for higher ratings. The Veteran's painful scars of the right knee and posterior trunk are rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU, finding that his service-connected left knee disabilities alone do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that his current right knee disability is at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability is granted, with the condition being diagnosed as right knee strain and retropatellar pain syndrome. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for neck arthralgia and left knee arthralgia, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise regarding these conditions. The Veteran's symptoms of joint pain began during service and have persisted since then.,Service connection was denied for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no direct or secondary service connection established.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The cases of bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, and pseudofolliculitis barbae are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected orthopedic conditions have prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education, skills, training, and work history.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various knee and foot conditions, including gout of the right knee prior to November 15, 2017, and left knee with limitation of extension prior to July 28, 2016, were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for gout of the left great toe prior to March 24, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions regarding her claimed conditions. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical records, undergo VA examinations, and have their claims re-evaluated.

The Veteran's TDIU claim from June 27, 2022 is moot as she has a combined disability rating of 100%.,Prior to June 27, 2022, the Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because her employment status does not indicate marginal or unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his left knee disability and the etiology of his right knee condition.