Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated release forms for private treatment records and scheduling new VA examinations. Additionally, a medical opinion is required regarding the etiology of his psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and medical opinions regarding the etiology of her gastrointestinal disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for left and right knee conditions due to a lack of medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his right knee disability, particularly concerning recurrent subluxation or lateral instability prior to April 27, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was reopened and granted, while the claims for right ear hearing loss, right knee disability, and right ear tinnitus were denied. The Veteran's service connection for a right thumb injury and right hand radiculopathy was granted.,The Veteran has been awarded ratings for her right thumb injury and right hand radiculopathy, but not for other conditions such as PTSD, hearing loss, or knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hand third finger disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such condition.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with the opinion that it is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for left elbow tendonitis, left knee disorder, low back disorder, and right elbow bursitis has been resolved in his favor. The issue of service connection for a left elbow disorder is dismissed as the claim was granted previously.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, and his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date of March 14, 2018, for the grant of service connection for left knee instability. The Veteran's claim was based on his contention that the issue should be considered as intertwined with his increased rating claim for left knee strain with osteoarthritis, but this argument was not persuasive.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied the remaining issues on appeal. Tinnitus is found to be related to active service, while no current disability or relationship to service is established for the other conditions.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left knee disability and service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke due to lack of evidence showing VA carelessness or negligence.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for further examination and opinion as the current opinions do not address whether his service-connected disabilities aggravated his obesity, which in turn caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to April 25, 2013 for tricompartmental osteoarthritis of the left knee and a compensable rating prior to April 25, 2013 for tricompartmental osteoarthritis of the left knee.

The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis due to the absence of a current diagnosis.,Service connection is remanded for right knee and left elbow disabilities as there are insufficient opinions addressing their relationship to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted a 20 percent rating prior to March 28, 2019. From March 28, 2019 to March 9, 2023, the claim for an increased rating was denied. Since March 9, 2023, the Veteran's claim remains pending as a higher rating is not granted.

The Veteran's increased ratings for right and left knee conditions have been granted. The effective dates are from the respective rating changes.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of various conditions including right knee, left knee, back, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy in bilateral extremities, hypertension, and heart condition due to incomplete development.

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in December 2022 was inadequate for rating purposes due to a lack of information regarding flare-ups and repeated use over time. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum retrospective medical opinion from an appropriate examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's diagnosed obesity, which is related to his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, was a result of his service-connected conditions. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.