Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral knee condition has been reopened. The Board finds that an addendum opinion is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of any patellofemoral pain syndrome or chondromalacia in his knees.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration of VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examination and adjudication of his claims, including a claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include PTSD, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and lumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, and the effective dates for benefits were not established.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because the evidence did not show that the Veteran had a hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left knee, right knee, left hand, right hand, and right elbow arthritis as they are not eligible to be decided due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and a back disorder, as these conditions are alleged to be secondary to his service-connected left knee and/or left ankle disabilities.,Further examination is needed to determine if there is any link between the Veteran's current right knee and back disorders and his service-connected left knee and/or left ankle disabilities.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the service-connected left knee laxity and instability, finding that it meets the criteria for severe lateral instability. The Veteran's symptoms include pain, stiffness, difficulty with bending, swelling, locking, and giving way of the knee, which necessitates use of a cane and brace.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disorder and remanded it for further development, including an examination to determine if there is a relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for a left knee disability but has remanded the issue of service connection for a right knee disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of her cervical spine, thoracic spine, left knee, shin splints, and hip disabilities. The VA will provide additional examinations to address these issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inconsistencies in the August 2017 and May 2018 VA examinations for the Veteran's right knee disability. The claim is being returned for a new examination that corrects these deficiencies.

The Veteran's claim for a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability is granted, and the issue of an even higher rating for instability of the left knee is addressed in the remand. The Veteran also received a separate compensable rating for retropatellar pain syndrome.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but denied service connection for bilateral knee conditions and left ankle condition.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated based on their current functional impairment. The appeals for increased ratings were denied as the evidence did not show that his right and left knee conditions warranted higher disability ratings.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient development and need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee and ankle disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date earlier than December 21, 2012 for a 10 percent rating for his service-connected left knee tendinitis. The decision found that there was no evidence of a cognizable increase in disability prior to this date.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and service connection for left hip and low back disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Elmendorf AFB hospital.