Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression associated with tinnitus, left knee strain, tinnitus, hypertension, and hearing loss, render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for service-connected bilateral knee disabilities due to deficiencies in the examination reports.

The Board denied increased ratings for cervical strain, degenerative arthritis and disc disease with spondylosis, right and left knee osteoarthritis, and right upper and lower extremity radiculopathy but granted separate 10 percent ratings for right and left knee instability and a 40 percent rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy. The Board also remanded the claim for entitlement to TDIU.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a left knee disability to ensure that all relevant treatment records are obtained and an adequate examination with an etiological opinion is provided.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee, right knee, and left foot condition as the evidence did not support the presence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board granted service connection for left hip piriformis syndrome and denied service connection for a right hip disability. The appeals of the March 3, 2023 proposal to reduce the rating for lumbosacral strain and the August 2022 rating decision regarding initial rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and service connection for left knee condition were dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for a dermatological disability, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis, as well as a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder with major depression from July 5, 2022.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher initial rating for left knee limitation of extension and an increased rating for left knee chondromalacia.

The appeal seeking earlier effective dates for the awards of a 100 percent rating for unspecified anxiety disorder and a 20 percent rating for chronic right knee patellofemoral syndrome was dismissed.

The Board remands the service connection claims for left knee and right knee strain to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as the RO failed to obtain VA medical opinions that adequately considered and discussed the Veteran's documented in-service knee complaints and lay assertions.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, a bladder condition, and various other conditions including psychiatric issues, alopecia, musculoskeletal problems, and skin conditions. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board granted service connection for vitiligo and gastrointestinal disability, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, right hand disability, left hand disability, and other knee and ankle disabilities. The decision also addressed the rating of PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, and a left knee disability as the weight of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's period of active service.

The Board granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, and left ankle strain but denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected injury to flexors (Group VII) of fingers/thumb, an initial compensable rating for recurrent bronchitis, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the lumbar spine is granted a 40 percent rating, while other claims for increased ratings are denied or remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 50 percent evaluation effective March 27, 2024. The claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right hand, left ankle strain, and right knee strain were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for meniscal tear, osteoarthritis, and chondrocalcinosis of the right knee and hypertension. The claims for TBI, chronic upset stomach, and prostate cancer were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded certain issues.

The Board remands the claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for left rotator cuff tendonitis and in excess of 10 percent prior to May 15, 2024, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for left knee osteoarthritis due to a need for additional medical evidence.

The Board granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, as the criteria for entitlement to service connection have been met.