Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee chondromalacia patella, right knee chondromalacia patella, tinnitus, sleep disability, and respiratory disability have been granted. The Veteran is also remanded for additional examinations to address the nature and etiology of his claimed sleep and respiratory disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The case was remanded to obtain additional medical records.,Service connection for vertigo was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating of his left knee prosthetic replacement and service connection for a back disability is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the back condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability from October 1, 2008, to August 29, 2010. The examiner is requested to address whether the Veteran's flare-ups amount to functional equivalence of ankylosis based on the identified July 2009 records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition has been reopened, and the Board finds that new and material evidence has been received to reopen this claim. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be related to his military service.,The Veteran's nasal condition/allergies are remanded as there is insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for right ankle, knee, hip, and low back disabilities have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions during the period under consideration.,VA has not found any clinically significant right ankle, knee, hip, or low back disability in the Veteran's records.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, effective January 19, 2018. Service connection for her right knee condition is granted, while service connection for her left knee condition is denied.

The Board has restored a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee disability, effective January 1, 2020, finding that his condition had not improved under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for his back, right knee, and left knee conditions due to insufficient evidence in the VA examinations. The Veteran contends that these conditions are related to his military service as a paratrooper.

Your initial rating for a left knee disability was granted in 2019 at 10 percent. Your appeal to get a higher rating has been dismissed because it was not filed within one year of the original decision.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds additional evidence supports a higher rating.,Both knees are currently rated at 30 percent. The Veteran's right knee has been found to have limitation of flexion to 15 degrees or less on flare-ups, warranting a higher 30 percent rating.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board finds additional evidence supports a higher 40 percent rating for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective October 10, 2023. The decision also grants a TDIU for the same period.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right hip osteoarthritis is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left and right knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence sufficient to readjudicate the claim for service connection for right knee disability has been received. The Veteran's current diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the right knee is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a brain trauma injury, increased ratings for left and right knee degenerative changes, and withdrawal of other claims have been denied. The Board found no evidence supporting the Veteran's assertions of head injuries or current disabilities related to his military service.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for migraine headaches was denied, and her request for an increased rating for patellofemoral syndrome (left knee) is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected knee, back, and scar disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has granted SMC at the housebound rate from March 17, 2016, to April 5, 2021. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for right knee disability and scar, as well as TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability alone, are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his authorized representative, and the Board is dismissing the case as a result.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and his left knee status post gunshot wound is rated at 10 percent. The Veteran also received separate ratings for left knee instability (30%) and scars (10%). Other issues related to service connection or TDIU are remanded.