Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis with meniscal tear, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are continuous since service and warrant presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD, anxiety condition/sleep disturbances is characterized by reduced reliability and productivity. The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the period from June 14, 2021, to August 8, 2023.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and knee disability. The evidence shows he can perform many daily activities with some assistance.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disorders due to a lack of current disability or functional impairment during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a skin condition other than tinea pedis, tinnitus, left groin strain, right hip condition, and right knee condition are all denied as there is no evidence of the claimed conditions during or after service.,Specifically, the Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions. The claims for tinnitus, left groin strain, and right hip condition were remanded due to incomplete medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the claims for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder with drug abuse, left knee disability, right knee disability, left wrist disability, and right wrist disability are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The claim for gout is also remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than May 16, 2017, and for a compensable initial evaluation for service-connected residual scar s/p right knee meniscectomy were denied. The Board found that the criteria for both claims were not met.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's disability rating for degenerative joint disease of the right knee was reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent. The Board has now restored the original 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for an initial 60 percent evaluation for service-connected GERD has been granted. The Board also remanded the claims for cervical spine disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease is related to his in-service injury, but an addendum opinion is needed to clarify this relationship and address any relevant medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for left and right knee disabilities, as well as a back disability, are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.

The Board has denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and left ear hearing loss, finding no current diagnosis or evidence of such conditions during the appeal period.,For the period on appeal, the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was rated as noncompensable due to having a puretone threshold at 52.5 decibels with an average score of 52.5 and a speech recognition score of 98%.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in physical loss of use of one or both hands or feet, permanent impairment of vision in both eyes, severe burn injury precluding effective operation of an automobile, ALS, or ankylosis of one or both knees or one or both hips. Therefore, the Veteran does not meet the eligibility criteria for financial assistance to purchase a vehicle and adaptive equipment.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as Major Depressive Disorder with anxious distress and panic attacks, and for residuals of a right knee fracture. The Veteran's claims are based on direct evidence from his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than July 1, 2022, for additional dependency compensation for his current spouse was denied as he did not provide all necessary information to establish their relationship within one year of the relevant rating decisions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that a remand is necessary due to the inconsistency between the Veteran's statements and the VA examination findings, requiring a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, depression, dizziness, light sensitivity, liver disorder, gynecological cyst, bladder disorder, headaches, allergies, hypothyroidism, cervical spine disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left winged scapula, left shoulder disorder, right winged scapula, right shoulder disorder, left knee strain, right knee strain, and left ankle sprain were all denied as there was no evidence of a service connection for these conditions.