Knee Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral hallux valgus and his service-connected conditions. The Veteran contends that his altered gait from his service-connected conditions led to his hallux valgus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones was denied in July 2015, and the claim has been reopened due to new evidence. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service.,Service connection for IBS was granted in July 2015 with an effective date of November 19, 2014. The Veteran's appeal regarding the effective date is dismissed as untimely.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various foot and knee disabilities, as well as a back disability. The VA examinations conducted in January 2020 were deemed insufficient due to their equivocal nature and failure to consider the Veteran's lay observations.

The Veteran's right knee strain with arthritis is rated at a separate initial 10 percent rating effective from May 21, 2014.,His claim for an initial compensable rating for right knee strain with arthritis prior to December 14, 2019, and thereafter, was denied. The case of service connection for a low back disability is remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus, right knee strain status post partial lateral meniscectomy, and right knee limited extension were denied increased ratings. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for left eye optic neuritis.

The Board has denied service connection for all of the claimed disabilities as they are not shown to be related to service.

The Board dismissed the appeals due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these claims prior to a decision being made.

The Board has previously remanded the claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee chondromalacia. The Veteran's appeal is being remanded again due to non-compliance with previous directives, including obtaining additional medical records.

The Board has dismissed all claims for increased ratings as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's right knee disability was granted a combined rating of 20 percent prior to November 1, 2017 and 30 percent from that date. The left knee disability received a combined rating of 30 percent prior to April 25, 2011; 20 percent from April 25, 2011 to November 1, 2017; 40 percent from November 1, 2017 to October 28, 2019; and 30 percent from that date onwards.,The Veteran's right knee disability was granted a combined rating of 20 percent prior to November 1, 2017 and 30 percent from that date. The left knee disability received a combined rating of 30 percent prior to April 25, 2011; 20 percent from April 25, 2011 to November 1, 2017; 40 percent from November 1, 2017 to October 28, 2019; and 30 percent from that date onwards.

The petition to reopen claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss is granted. The petition to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability is denied, and the case is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence not previously considered by the AOJ. The Veteran will have an opportunity for initial review of this evidence before a decision is made.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted effective September 20, 2018, based on his service-connected disabilities resulting in a combined rating of 90 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disability and did not warrant readjudication of the left knee or low back disability claims due to lack of relevant new evidence.

The Board has determined that the AOJ committed a pre-decisional duty to assist error by relying on inadequate VA examination opinions in denying service connection for left hip arthritis and left knee arthritis. The appeal is being remanded to obtain adequate etiological opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of left and right knee conditions due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran's testimony indicates that he sustained injuries during service, but further medical examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, attributing the etiology to parachute jumps during active service.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches. Bilateral hearing loss, back disability, hip disabilities (left and right), knee disabilities (right and left), and shoulder disabilities (right and left) are all remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, finding that entitlement did not arise prior to April 8, 2014. The decision states there is no lay or medical evidence showing the Veteran was unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities before this date.

The Veteran's initial claim of a higher rating for his service-connected left knee strain is being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports. The case will be returned for an updated evaluation and the provision of adequate range of motion testing.