Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim of increased rating for a left knee disability is denied as he withdrew his appeal without good cause. The Board also remanded the issue of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right and left knee strains, gastroesophageal disease (GERD) with gastric ulcer, left tricep tendonitis, and cervical strain have all been rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted for any of these conditions.,A separate rating was denied for each condition due to the Veteran's flexion and extension limitations not meeting the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The Veteran's right knee and right ankle disabilities are being reviewed again to determine their severity throughout the period on appeal.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's left knee disability and denied service connection for his right foot spur, finding that the evidence did not support ratings higher than 10 percent or service connection.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, left ear hearing loss, left elbow condition, right elbow condition, left knee condition, and bilateral pes planus have been reopened. The appeal regarding TDIU is dismissed. The appeals for service connection are remanded due to new and material evidence having been submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service and that any symptoms were not caused by service. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) in service or within one year after discharge.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under either the pre-amended or amended VA Rating Schedule.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for chronic thoracolumbar strain was denied as there is no evidence of a prior informal claim before August 31, 2017.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss was granted based on in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and a bilateral foot disability to include metatarsalgia due to outstanding medical opinions and additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and neck disability are remanded due to new evidence received since the last denial of his petition to reopen. The claims will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted for allergic rhinitis/sinusitis and sleep apnea. The left knee, right wrist, erectile dysfunction (ED), and headaches claims are still pending and will be remanded.,Service connection has been established for allergic rhinitis/sinusitis and sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to new evidence submitted since the June 2020 supplemental statement of the case. The TDIU issue is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the right and left knee disability issues.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, with diabetic retinopathy and erectile dysfunction is rated at 60 percent. Separate compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction are not warranted. Increased ratings for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, right leg below the knee amputation (BKA), and peripheral neuropathy of both sciatic nerves are denied.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for a higher rating and an earlier effective date for the service connection of his left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in a previous decision regarding the Veteran's right knee DJD. The case will be reviewed again with a new examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left knee degenerative arthritis was denied. A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability from December 10, 2021, was granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for gout including gouty arthritis, right knee disability, left wrist disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral flatfoot disability, and heart disability. The Board found that there is no medical evidence or opinion linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to insufficient evidence on the etiology of the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hysterectomy scar, service connection for left knee disorder, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right shin splints, and left shin splints have been remanded due to the submission of new VA treatment records. The AOJ will review these records and issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).