Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral knee and leg disorders as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the current conditions are not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the issues of service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome right hand, left hand, primary vitiligo, and degenerative arthritis left knee limitation of flexion and extension due to additional development being needed. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his claimed disabilities will be considered in the new VA opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, and the Board finds no basis for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and further development is required.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee condition and an initial rating of 30 percent for myocardial infarction prior to March 12, 2014. The appeal was remanded for further development regarding TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and right knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition during the periods specified.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's knee pain did not constitute an emergency medical condition at the time of her treatment on November 29, 2015 and December 2, 2015. As a result, she is not eligible for reimbursement under 38 U.S.C. § 1725 or 1728.,The Veteran's appeal to reimburse costs of non-VA medical care received on May 28, 2014 was timely filed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were previously denied, and new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims. The claim for increased rating for left shoulder acromioclavicular separation residuals was also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations and provide requested medical records. The issues of service connection for a back disorder, including lower extremity symptoms, and increased rating for osteoarthritis of the left knee are being addressed.

The Veteran's right knee surgery required additional convalescence, and the Board granted an extension of a temporary total rating (TTR) for convalescent purposes from February 1, 2019 to May 1, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and muscle pain in the back and legs have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for sleep apnea, but an initial compensable rating for chronic bronchitis remains denied.

A 30 percent evaluation for a left knee disability prior to September 16, 2020, is granted.,An evaluation in excess of 30 percent for a left knee disability beginning September 16, 2020, is denied. The Veteran's hypertension claim is also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral ankle arthritis, bilateral hip arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right hand/fingers degenerative arthritis as secondary to service-connected inflammatory arthritis due to insufficient examination opinions. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain private treatment records from Methodist Hospital in Jacksonville and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim due to issues with proper notice and development, including verifying his current address and obtaining necessary medical opinions.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for right-forearm disorder and denied the other claims. The Court has vacated those decisions and remanded the claims to the Board for action consistent with a Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). The JMR states that the Board did not provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases for dismissing the forearm claim, and it also indicates errors in denying service connection for thoracolumbar spine, right knee, left and right-hand/thumb, and migraine headache disorders. The Veteran's failure to report for scheduled examinations without stating good cause is noted.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right and left total knee replacements due to new evidence showing worsening of the Veteran's conditions.,The claim for TDIU is also remanded as there are no updated VA Form 21-8940s available.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip DJD and trochanteric bursitis, left knee DJD, and PTSD. The Veteran's current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including osteoarthritis and meniscal tear, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes. The Board also denied her claim for TDIU prior to September 29, 2017.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability is not related to his service, as there was no evidence of chronicity of care and the VA examiner explained that the arthritis in his left knee developed due to other risk factors such as age or obesity. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the disability is related to service.