Knee Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral pes planus with arthritis, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, headaches, multiple sclerosis (MS), ischemic heart disease (IHD), and prostate disorder. The reasons given were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or in-service exposure.

The Veteran's vertigo is granted as service-connected. An initial compensable rating for the abdominal scar is denied, but a separate 10 percent rating for painful scar as of February 8, 2022, is granted. Service connection for dyspnea (claimed as asthma), right shoulder condition, bilateral pes planus, left knee condition, and right ankle condition are all remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.

The Board has denied service connection for a left knee disability and remanded the right knee disability claim.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for right shoulder scar, bilateral knee disability, low back disability, and bilateral ankle disability. The appeal for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia is granted an initial 30 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The ratings for cervical strain with IVDS and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are denied prior to October 19, 2021, but granted thereafter. Separate ratings for left hip bursitis and patellar instability associated with left knee degenerative arthritis are granted effective from October 19, 2021. The rating for right knee bipartite patella with discoid medial meniscus is granted a separate 20 percent rating as of January 28, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 20 percent for GSW residuals, left hip was denied. The effective date of the increased rating from June 5, 2017, is also denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for total knee joint replacement, right knee (right knee condition) is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of recent VA examination, and therefore requires an updated evaluation for the Veteran's right knee total replacement.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his left knee disability and to determine if he is entitled to temporary total ratings following surgeries. The effective date issue is also remanded due to procedural errors in the rating decision process.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities have been denied. The VA has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate examination findings.,Further development is required to obtain an adequate medical examination and assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as service connected. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current disability of severe right shoulder pain related to her military service and remands for further examination. The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is also found to be at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to the lack of current diagnoses.,The Board has also remanded claims for bilateral hearing loss, skin disability, left shoulder disability, and right foot disability as there is insufficient evidence addressing their etiology.

The Board has remanded the claims for left-knee patellofemoral syndrome and left-ankle strain due to deficiencies in VA examinations, including lack of specification on whether range-of-motion measurements were taken in a weight-bearing or non-weight-bearing position. The TDIU claim is also remanded as part of this appeal.

The Board denied service connection for right knee and left knee disorders, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not meet the criteria for direct service connection due to lack of evidence showing a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's right knee instability is rated separately from April 26, 2022, but no earlier. The issue of a higher rating for the disability remains pending.,Other issues related to the Veteran's right ankle and lumbosacral strain are still under review.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining a new VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability and issuing a Statement of the Case (SOC) for the issue of an earlier effective date for service connection.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for lumbosacral strain, cervical strain, left knee arthritis with internal derangement, right upper and lower extremity radiculopathy have all been denied.,Specifically, the criteria for a higher rating were not met for each condition.

The Veteran's claim for left knee disability was previously denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The Board has now reopened the claim based on new evidence, but a remand is required as further clarification and evaluation are needed.