Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for any of his claimed hip or knee disabilities, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a lumbar condition, right knee condition, and bilateral hearing loss due to missing service treatment records and personnel records. The Veteran's active duty service in Iraq is also unclear.

The Veteran's back brace and bilateral knee braces caused wear and tear to his clothing, specifically causing damage to shirts from the back brace and pants from the knee braces. The Board granted three annual clothing allowances for the 2021 calendar year based on this finding.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal through their authorized representative.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The Veteran's right knee disorder is being reviewed again.

The Board has remanded the service connection claim for a left knee disability and the temporary total evaluation claim due to insufficient medical opinions in the file. The issues are inextricably intertwined.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for various knee and shoulder conditions due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence, and VA will schedule further examinations.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent for painful motion with flexion, and the Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 10 percent.,The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent for painful motion with flexion, and the Board has also remanded the issue of entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's claims based on in-service knee pain and post-service symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA medical nexus opinions in December 2020 and June 2023. The claims are being remanded for new VA examinations to address the issues of a low back disability, left and right knee disabilities, left and right foot disabilities, and a right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current left knee disability and service.

The Veteran's prior rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain (low back condition) is restored, while his right shoulder and left knee disabilities are denied increased ratings.

The Veteran's left and right knee conditions are granted restoration of a 10 percent disability rating, effective July 14, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and his in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 5, 2022, for the grant of service connection for left knee disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The Board will obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of tinnitus, thoracic strain, diabetes, and right knee disorder.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right knee disability and right foot calcaneal spurs due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for SMC based on housebound status and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Board has determined that the earliest possible effective dates are February 18, 2014 for SMC and February 19, 2014 for DEA.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which was granted a permanent and total rating from February 18, 2014. This resulted in the assignment of earlier effective dates for both SMC and DEA benefits.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection of vertigo due to its full grant in a prior decision. Service connection is granted for low back disability, and the claims for left knee, left wrist, and left foot calcaneal spurs are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for limited flexion and extension of the left knee are remanded due to incomplete or insufficient evidence.,Additional medical examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected left knee conditions.