Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right knee arthroplasty and TDIU are being remanded due to procedural issues. The Board also finds it necessary to investigate the Veteran's consistent reports of right hip symptoms that may be distinguishable from his right knee symptoms, and to schedule a new VA examination to determine this.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability and its relationship to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The issues of initial ratings for left and right knee disabilities, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a bilateral hearing loss disability was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and that he could secure and follow substantially gainful employment despite his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 27, 2013 for a 10% rating for medial meniscal tear of the right knee. The earliest indication of increased disability was on December 27, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and left leg above the knee amputation are being remanded due to incomplete development. The Board requests additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left wrist disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.,The Board also found that the Veteran's current left knee and left wrist disabilities are not proximately due to or aggravated by her service-connected right knee and right wrist disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including residuals of traumatic brain injury, left shoulder osteoarthritis, bilateral ankle condition, nephrolithiasis (due to herbicide exposure), bilateral knee osteoarthritis, lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, BLE sciatica, hypertension, and diverticulosis. The Veteran did not have these conditions at the time of service or within one year after discharge.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining retrospective opinions from VA examiners for the periods prior to January 2016 and February 10, 2021.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right knee condition, requiring a new examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in November 2019 are inadequate and requires further examination to determine if the Veteran has a right foot disorder or left knee disorder, as well as their etiology.

The Veteran's right knee disability claim is being remanded due to noncompliance with previous Board directives and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for his service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis is being remanded due to the need for additional development and review.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee, spine, right foot, and right knee disorder (arthritis and replacement), as well as left foot hallux valgus. Service connection was denied for degenerative arthritis of the right and left thumbs.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, a right knee disability, and a left knee disability. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to have begun during active duty.

The Veteran's right knee semilunar cartilage dislocation and instability are granted with a rating of 20 percent, while the left knee conditions receive appropriate ratings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess his right knee and right ankle disabilities. The effective date of service connection is also under review.

The Veteran's appeals for various disability ratings have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep disturbance and bilateral knee disability are remanded due to insufficient examination reports that did not consider the Veteran's lay statements about his symptoms during service.