Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for a right knee disability, specifically whether the current degenerative arthritis is aggravated by the service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits due to his not having a serious employment handicap and his eligibility period ending on August 11, 2008.

The Veteran's right knee disability, GERD, and hypertension are all rated at the lowest possible levels (10% each), and thus no higher ratings are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment from December 7, 2015. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to TDIU from this date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and back disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his current conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for a left knee disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including left wrist disability, left knee and hip disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and skin disability. The remand requires obtaining updated medical records, conducting examinations for orthopedic, audiological, and dermatological evaluations, and determining the etiology of any diagnosed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a sleep disorder and did not address the left knee disability claim. The decision also noted that there is no direct evidence linking the current sleep disorder to active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition and lower back condition, both of which are secondary to his service-connected left knee condition. The case is being returned for additional development and new VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee pain, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking current knee conditions to service.,The Veteran reported pain in both knees since service, but did not have a diagnosed condition until after service. The VA examiner found no nexus between his current knee conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeal is limited to the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Board has decided this issue in favor of the Veteran and remanded it for further examination.

The Veteran's right rotator cuff injury, limitation of motion of the right knee, and left ankle sprain are all granted service connection. The psychiatric disorder is denied service connection, but the claim for a left shoulder condition is not addressed as it lacks current disability evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating for various conditions are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted a separate compensable rating of 10 percent for right knee instability.,The Veteran's back disability is currently rated as 40 percent disabling.

The Board denied service connection for chronic lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee disorders due to lack of evidence showing a link between the conditions and active service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right hip disability is denied as the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that his current right hip disability began during active service or was caused by a service-connected condition.,For the period from June 24, 2009 to October 25, 2015, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right knee injury with degenerative joint disease is denied as his current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.,For the period from June 24, 2009 to October 25, 2015, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbar spondylosis and spondylolisthesis with degenerative arthritis of the spine is denied as his current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.,For the period from October 26, 2015, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbar spondylosis and spondylolisthesis with degenerative arthritis of the spine is denied as his current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, TMJ dysfunction, and chest pain due to a lack of consideration of certain evidence in the September 2015 VA examination. The Veteran's claim for fibromyalgia is also remanded as it may be related to her other claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded four issues related to the Veteran's knee and TDIU claims due to incomplete development of records.

The Veteran's appeals regarding increased ratings for left knee total arthroplasty and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal in December 2019.