Knee Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate nexus opinion and incomplete military personnel records. The Veteran's right knee condition is being reviewed again for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not caused by or related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and low back disorder have been granted. The rating assigned is 0% (no disability compensation).

The Board has remanded the case due to further evidentiary development being necessary, including clarification of VA examination findings and additional opinions regarding the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right knee degenerative arthritis and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and a left knee disorder.

The Board has restored the 20% disability ratings for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome from November 1, 2009. The appeal regarding service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been granted. Service connection is also granted for this condition. Ratings have been assigned for left knee instability and painful motion, but the Veteran's right knee and inguinal hernia claims are remanded. The lumbar spine disability rating is also remanded due to new evidence of radicular symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disorder. A new VA examination is needed to determine if the condition originated during service or is related to any in-service injury.

The Board has remanded two issues: the evaluation of right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and service connection for a low back disorder. The Veteran must be provided with new examinations to assess his current disability levels, and a medical opinion is needed to determine if his low back condition is related to in-service injury.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied. The highest schedular rating of 30 percent has been assigned for the residuals of a medial meniscectomy with instability of the left knee, arthritis of the left knee with limitation of motion, and DDD of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities have been rated based on the symptoms of traumatic arthritis and meniscectomy. The Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted for any period prior to April 26, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation higher than 30 percent for service-connected insomnia prior to August 20, 2012 has been dismissed as the earlier effective date for major depressive disorder (MDD) with insomnia rendered the issue moot.,The combined disability rating from August 9, 2017 is denied as it does not exceed 80 percent.,The combined disability rating from April 11, 2018 is denied as it does not exceed 90 percent.,The combined disability rating from June 14, 2019 and August 1, 2020 is denied as it does not exceed 100 percent.,The initial evaluation for service-connected right shoulder strain with arthritis after October 1, 2018 remains unchanged.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 60 percent from February 1, 2013. The rating is granted as the condition meets the criteria for a chronic residual consisting of severe painful motion or weakness.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral pes planus, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and a left hip disorder were denied. The claim for tinnitus was granted.,Service connection for the Veteran’s right hip disorder, left knee disorder, and right shoulder disorder was not established.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluations for hypertension and hepatitis A have been denied. The claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, left knee disability, and left hammer toe are remanded due to the need for additional records and medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and increased ratings were denied as there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability during the year prior to April 26, 2011. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to his right knee instability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip, knee, wrist, elbow, and shoulder disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of in-service disease or injury, and that any current conditions are not related to her active military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it may be affected by the outcome of the higher evaluation claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to higher ratings for his right knee limitation of motion and internal derangement due to inadequate examination findings. The claims are being returned for further development.