Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities and left hip disability are related to his service-connected conditions, including bilateral pes planus. The nose disability is not related to service, but the sleep apnea and right ankle disability may be secondary to service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's right ankle disability is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was denied prior to July 22, 2019. A 20 percent disability rating is granted beginning from that date.,A non-compensable rating for the right knee surgical scar remains unchanged.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, left knee disorder, and low back disorder due to the need for additional development. Specifically, addendum opinions are needed regarding whether these conditions are at least as likely as not related to active-duty service, including considering the Veteran's weight/BMI during service and his toxic exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete or inaccurate factual premises in previous opinions. The Veteran's right knee and toenail disorders are being reviewed again to determine their etiology.

The Board has remanded the claim for a bilateral knee disability due to additional development, including obtaining National Guard service records and medical opinions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability, and thoracolumbar spine disability are remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition, neck condition, and migraines as new and material evidence was not received to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an effective date of May 5, 1998, for the award of a separate rating for right knee surgical scars is granted. The remaining issues are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has determined that more contemporaneous VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right and left ankle, right foot, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of relevant medical records from the last five years.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee injury, scar from left knee surgery, pain in buttocks from surgery, and MRSA due to lack of qualifying service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for right knee condition and bilateral pes planus (claimed as bilateral foot condition) due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which he contends are secondary to his service-connected ankle osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examinations and evaluations to determine appropriate disability ratings for his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis. The cases of recurrent right eye disability and recurrent left eye disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip and right knee conditions due to insufficient consideration of the combat presumption and an inadequate secondary service connection opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his thoracolumbar strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee strain with chondromalacia and patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee strain with chondromalacia. The examinations must include both active and passive range of motion testing, as well as weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing assessments.

The Veteran's left knee disorder, which manifested as intermediate degrees of residual weakness, pain, and limitation of motion prior to September 19, 2017, has not met the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent. The Board finds that the current level of disability does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder, left knee, and right knee conditions as well as bilateral hearing loss due to potential issues with etiology opinions. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board granted a rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's low back disability from December 5, 2019. The Veteran also received separate noncompensable ratings for gouty arthritis of the right and left knees with limitation of flexion.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are granted service connection, while his right hip disability is also granted. The case is remanded for further evaluation of the Veteran's left hip disability.