Knee Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the claims for increased disability rating for GERD, service connection for a right knee disability, fecal incontinence, and hiatal hernia due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, TDIU, and SMC are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records and clarification regarding his recent emergency room visit.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions, as well as for further development regarding other issues. The Veteran will also receive a Statement of the Case (SOC) addressing all pending claims.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left ankle degenerative arthritis with strain, as well as DJD of the knees, are being remanded for further evaluation due to recent worsening reported by the Veteran. Additionally, a claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for the entitlement of a separate compensable rating for his sleep disability, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.,The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current sleep issues are indeed related to his right knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee scars and degenerative joint disease are rated as noncompensably disabling prior to April 15, 2019. The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for both the left and right knee scars. However, the claim is remanded due to insufficient information provided in the January 2017 VA examination regarding the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's reports of an in-service injury and subsequent symptoms are credible. The claim is denied for other issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and examination. The Veteran's claim for hearing loss is reopened, but service connection remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for her bilateral knee disabilities and service connection for ulcerative colitis (UC) and migraine headaches due to a lack of updated treatment records, material change in her conditions, and need for addendum opinions regarding the preexistence of her UC.

The Board has found that new examinations are required to evaluate the current nature and severity of the Veteran's right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a record gap from December 2016 to July 2022. The Veteran's GERD disability is also remanded for further evaluation.

Your appeal has been dismissed because you withdrew your request for a hearing and the case is not about service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities due to a lack of retrospective medical opinion addressing the evidence from the date of claim. The appellant is requested to provide any pertinent private treatment records, including those from John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected right knee and low back disabilities, which have been rated at 10 percent for over five years.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to lack of current diagnoses.,The Veteran's IBS with GERD and status post cholecystectomy is currently rated at 30 percent, but a remand is required to assess the condition without considering medication effects.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine injury residuals, lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity varicose veins, left lower extremity varicose veins, bronchitis, and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete service treatment records from the Veteran's National Guard and Reserve periods of service. The claims will be readjudicated after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted effective May 8, 2014, one year prior to the date of receipt of his application. The Board finds no evidence supporting earlier claims.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted with a rating of 30 percent for limitation of flexion, and denied for extension and instability.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for left knee instability prior to April 14, 2014. A separate 10 percent rating is also granted for symptomatic residuals post-operative meniscectomy of the left knee. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has restored the Veteran's right knee disability rating from 20% to 20%, effective January 4, 2018. The reduction was based on an inadequate examination report and post-reduction evidence suggesting improvement in the condition.