Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his vision impairment and physical conditions such as neuropathy and back pain, necessitate regular aid and attendance. The Board granted SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate notice and duty to assist errors. The Veteran is required to provide information about any private treatment records, which will be sought by VA.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's request for a compensable rating for his surgical scar of the lumbar spine is denied. The decision also denies service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remands the claims for right ankle, left ankle, right knee, and left knee disorders.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied as there is no legal basis for an increased rating. The Board found that the AOJ did not provide VA examinations for service connection claims and thus remanded these issues.

The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection claims for left and right knee osteoarthritis with meniscal tear, finding that there is at least a reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran's assertions regarding the onset and continuity of his symptoms during service.

The Board has remanded multiple service connection claims due to duty-to-assist errors, including failure to obtain relevant private treatment records and rescheduling of VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right knee meniscal tear and instability have been denied. The current ratings of 10 percent are deemed sufficient given the limited range of motion and lack of prescribed assistive devices or bracing.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and will schedule the Veteran for a VA Knee Examination.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on various service-connected conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in any of these cases.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee conditions are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the April 2020 VA examination report.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various ankle, elbow, foot, knee, and back disabilities. The appeals were dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (VA Form 10182).

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for right knee and service connection for low back are being remanded due to procedural errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of November 13, 2020, for his grant of TDIU. The Board found that the proper effective date was August 20, 2021, based on the date of receipt of the claim.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from April 15, 2020 to July 21, 2022 and denied for a higher rating.,Ratings for patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee and left knee are both denied.

The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The decision is based on medical opinions that link GERD to the use of NSAIDs due to his left knee condition.

The Board denied service connection for OSA and the restoration of a 20% disability rating for right knee disability. The Veteran's PTSD, back disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy were all denied increased ratings.

The Veteran's PTSD, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, right knee PFS with limitation of flexion and extension, and left knee PFS with limitation of flexion and extension are all rated as they currently stand.,An initial rating higher than the current ratings for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, bilateral shin splints, right knee disability, left knee disability, and right ankle disability are all granted as service-connected.,There is no specific rating assigned or effective date provided in the decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and left knee disorder due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to obtain an etiology opinion regarding his claimed disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee conditions, as well as his lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease (IVDS), require further examination and development due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions.