Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 60 percent for right knee arthritis is dismissed. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) is remanded due to new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation greater than 10 percent for right knee tendonitis with degenerative arthritis was withdrawn.,Service connection for PTSD has been granted, as the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran's PTSD was caused by an in-service stressor.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee meniscus tear status post arthroscopy and migraine headaches, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to her active service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for right knee strain, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (radiculopathy), and left foot pes planus due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service treatment records do not indicate a complaint or diagnosis of these conditions during service. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the current diagnoses and service.

The Veteran's right knee disability was granted an initial rating of 30 percent prior to December 1, 2018 and a 60 percent rating from December 1, 2018.

The Board has restored the 10 percent rating for bilateral knee instability, which was previously reduced to noncompensable effective November 1, 2020.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee strain, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, and right shoulder rotator cuff tear due to inadequate medical opinions in the November 2020 rating decision. The VA is required to obtain an addendum opinion from a clinician to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are causally related to his active duty. The right shoulder arthritis claim is still pending.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to June 29, 2009, for the grant of TDIU and DEA benefits was denied. The Board found that entitlement to TDIU did not arise until June 29, 2009, when the Veteran became service-connected for PTSD.,The Veteran's eligibility for DEA under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 was also denied as he did not have a permanent total service-connected disability prior to June 29, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip, right hip and left knee conditions have been granted.,Service connection has been established for degenerative joint disease of the bilateral hips and patellofemoral degenerative changes of the left knee.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no current evidence of a diagnosed condition related to the claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, bilateral elbow nerve damage, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome must be remanded due to a failure to provide a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right knee disability and restoration of previous ratings for left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hypertension, migraines (headaches), and right knee degenerative arthritis due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The Board has denied service connection for neck pain, right knee pain, and right shoulder pain. The claim for migraine headaches was also denied. The case is remanded for further action on the obstructive sleep apnea claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his knee and ankle conditions, as well as sinusitis, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation at any point during the period on appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left shoulder disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with knee anterior cruciate ligament tear was not found to meet the criteria for a higher initial rating prior to February 9, 2024 and in excess of 30 percent thereafter.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, left knee strain, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were otherwise related to in-service events.,The VA examiner found no causal relationship between the Veteran's current diagnoses and her military service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left hip osteoarthritis, and right hip osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee condition.,Service connection has also been granted for liver condition (to include NASH), sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus, type II, all secondary to his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities.