Knee Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, left knee strain, bilateral ankle strain, right lower extremity sciatica, and PTSD based on military sexual trauma.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded all substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him, from April 1, 2011, but no earlier.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's neck, right shoulder and clavicle, right hip, left knee, right knee, and right wrist disabilities as they were found to be a result of willful misconduct during active duty.

The Veteran has withdrawn the entire appeal, and all claims have been dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability and assigned an initial rating of 10 percent for hypertension.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 11, 2015, for service connection for left and right knee disabilities but denied an earlier effective date for PTSD.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for headaches, asthma rating reduction, and low back condition. The claims for bilateral flat foot and fallen arches, right ankle, left ankle, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. However, the 70 percent rating for PTSD was restored.

The Board remands the case for an addendum medical opinion to clarify whether the Veteran's service-connected right knee strain aggravated his left knee disability.

The Board granted initial ratings of 20 percent for left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The claims for increased ratings for knee conditions were remanded.

The Board denied initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee disabilities, and in excess of 20 percent for a thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for entitlement to earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for a right ankle disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability, and lumbosacral disability.

The Board denied service connection for back, neck, and right knee disabilities other than degenerative arthritis, as well as an earlier effective date for the award of a 50 percent rating for PTSD. The initial compensable rating for bronchitis prior to May 2, 2023 was also denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all claims, including those for higher ratings and service connection.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability due to insufficient evidence and a need for a new examination.

The Board denied a compensable rating for hemorrhoids and remanded the claims for increased ratings of knee and hip disabilities due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for left and right knee patellofemoral disease, as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the claims for left knee strain and right knee strain.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and denied service connection for various other conditions, including allergies/rhinitis, right hip joint pain inflammation - range of motion condition, left lower extremity radiates / chronic foot peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity radiates / chronic foot peripheral neuropathy, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, migraine / tension headaches, traumatic brain injury (TBI), sinusitis, sleep apnea, and right foot inversion. The Board remanded several claims for further development.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, except for a separate 10 percent rating for right knee extension from November 4, 2021, and a 10 percent rating for left knee flexion from the same date.