Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for cephalgia (headaches), thoracolumbar spine disability, right knee disability, bilateral leg disability, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete development.

The Board denied service connection for a spine disability, right hip and left hip, as well as left and right knee disabilities. The Veteran's claims for sinus headaches were also denied.,Service connection was not granted for any of the conditions on appeal.

The Veteran's migraines/tension headaches are rated at 50 percent from January 10, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for readjudication based on additional VA medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to October 27, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain, right foot degenerative arthritis, and hypertension. The Veteran's conditions are related to her active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's initial and increased evaluations for right knee degenerative arthritis with Baker's cyst status post right meniscal tear repair, as well as his lumbar spine disability evaluation prior to October 17, 2020, were denied. For the period beginning March 20, 2009, a higher evaluation of 10 percent for right knee instability was granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and needs a supplemental opinion regarding whether the left knee disability is caused directly by service or proximately caused by the service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for additional left knee disability due to the August 2010 total left knee replacement is denied as she does not have an additional disability other than her already service-connected left knee condition and surgical scars associated with that condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's PTSD is related to an in-service personal assault, including military sexual trauma (MST). The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion regarding its relationship to her service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability, including osteoarthritis and a sprain, is at least as likely as not related to her in-service injury. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's November 14, 2019 Notice of Disagreement was timely filed and reinstated. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, left knee strain with traumatic arthritis, and right knee strain with traumatic arthritis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss or establish service connection for any of the other conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of right knee disability, service connection for headache disorder, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board requests that VA medical professionals provide updated opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral flat feet disability was noted on entry and is at least evenly balanced as to whether the disability increased in severity during active-duty service.,The Veteran's right knee condition, which included a pre-existing surgical removal of cartilage from his right knee prior to enlistment, was not noted on entry. The evidence shows that the Veteran experienced symptoms such as pain and instability during service.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for right and left knee limitations of flexion with degenerative arthritis due to an inadequate VA examination based on an inaccurate factual background.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and his claim for a higher rating for degenerative joint disease of the right knee. The decision is based on incomplete records, particularly regarding the specific tonal thresholds for the Veteran's hearing loss and the range of motion testing for his knee.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), effective August 3, 2020. Attorney fees are now awarded based on past-due benefits.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The VA examiner found that the range of motion was within normal limits and did not result in functional loss.,Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) affects less than 5% of his total body area and exposed areas, requiring no topical corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs. The Veteran's PFB does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.