Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee disorder and psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to non-compliance with prior remand directives, specifically regarding the adequacy of VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's thoracic spine, right knee, left hip, and right hip degenerative arthritis are all found to be aggravated by his service-connected left knee, left peroneal nerve, and bilateral foot disabilities. A 20 percent rating is granted for the residuals of left knee injury with recurrent dislocation from December 18, 2017.

The Board has remanded the claims for new VA examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's knee disabilities due to his failure to report for scheduled examinations. The Veteran is advised that failure to report will result in denial of his claim.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right foot and knee disabilities due to insufficient competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran is required to undergo a VA examination to determine if his current bilateral feet and knees disabilities are related to his service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is denied as there is no nexus between his current pain and an in-service injury, while the left knee disability remains under consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right knee, status post total knee arthroplasty, is not service-connected as it was not shown to be incurred or aggravated during his active duty service and there is no evidence linking it to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding increased ratings for left knee disability, left knee scars, right shoulder disability, and right shoulder scar. The Board has dismissed these claims.

The Board has determined that new evidence received since the June 2013 rating decision is sufficient to readjudicate claims for service connection for right and left knee osteoarthritis, as well as hypertension. The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability increased rating claim has been previously adjudicated and denied. The appeal is dismissed as the VA Form 10182, submitted in September 2019, is not valid for initiating an appeal under the AMA framework.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for back pain, hemorrhoids, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis should be remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining service treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus, bilateral knee disability, back disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of current diagnoses at any point during or prior to the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms since separation from service are also considered.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his right knee replacement surgery was denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The current 30 percent rating is considered appropriate given the Veteran's limited range of motion and pain, which do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and lumbar spine disorder as they are not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has identified the need to obtain additional medical records and remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, skin disability, left knee disability, BTM, and headaches have been denied. The Veteran's psychiatric disability claim is remanded.,The Veteran's psychiatric disability claim includes PTSD, depression, and anxiety. A VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his right knee disabilities due to incomplete VA examination records. The Veteran must be provided with a new VA examination, and any updated treatment records should be reviewed before readjudication.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for hepatitis C, and left and right knee disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for healed partial ACL tear of the right knee with arthritis and for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD due to additional development being required.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for left knee disability, lumbosacral spine osteoarthritis, and left shoulder osteoarthritis. The claim for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD is remanded due to insufficient evidence.