Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded several service connection and rating issues due to the submission of additional evidence not previously considered by the AOJ.

The Board has remanded the issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee disability other than recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, based on painful motion.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for an acquired mental disorder and a skin disorder, denied service connection for right and left knee disorders, and granted TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further examination of her right knee condition, as she has raised concerns about the competency of a VA examiner who provided an evaluation in January 2024.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee disorders and TDIU have been granted, with a maximum rating of 30% effective June 27, 2011.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development. The Veteran's claims are based on his in-service injuries, but VA examiners have not provided sufficient evidence to support or deny the claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to inadequate opinions in the VA examinations and lack of information about the qualifications of the examiner who provided the opinion on service connection.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to an inadequate statement and reasons and bases in support of the denial, specifically regarding the Veteran's lay statements and the medical opinions provided.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his back and knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for clarification on whether he has had 'functional ankylosis' in either his back or left knee disabilities throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of evidence related to his hypertension, hypertensive retinopathy, gastrointestinal disorder, foot disabilities, shoulder disabilities, and knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for eczema (atopic dermatitis) of the bilateral hands and fingers, but remanded the claims for right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including retrospective opinions on the severity of his disabilities during flare-ups and repetitive use.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a right knee disability during service or related to an in-service injury. The Board also found that the Veteran's lay assertions were not credible and lacked medical expertise.

The Veteran's initial rating for left knee osteoarthritis and instability was denied, but a separate 10 percent rating for instability was granted. A TDIU was initially denied prior to March 11, 2019, but was later granted from that date onwards.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues on appeal, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review the appeal.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with its remand directives regarding retrospective opinions for the left knee disability. The case is being remanded to obtain these necessary opinions.

The Veteran's service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected disabilities of degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine with spinal fusion and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, is denied because the evidence does not support a finding that obesity (an intermediate step) was caused or aggravated by these service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, right knee strain, and cervical strain due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will provide further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for chronic right knee disorders and left knee disorder, but remanded the issue of service connection for a right foot disorder due to potential pre-existing condition aggravation.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for his service-connected left knee strain has been dismissed because the appellant (Veteran's attorney) withdrew the appeal in September 2024.