Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis and strain, are at least as likely as not related to his service. The claim for service connection is therefore granted.

Your appeal for service connection regarding dizziness and right knee pain has been dismissed as the appellant requested to withdraw their appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee degenerative arthritis with ACL insufficiency and medial meniscus tear was denied.,Service connection for PTSD, psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, TBI, and tinnitus were all denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, hip, and ankle disorders due to inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ will obtain new VA medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are proximately due to or the result of her service-connected low back disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and right shoulder strain conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee degenerative arthritis and osteoarthritis was denied, but he received a separate 20% rating for his meniscus tear with tendinopathy. The effective date remains pending as it is not specified in the decision.

The Board denied service connection for left knee strain, finding that the current condition is not related to an in-service injury and no causal relationship exists between the current disability and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus, low back condition, left knee strain, right knee strain, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found no evidence to support these conditions during or after service.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis, left elbow, right elbow, migraine headaches, lumbar spine, right knee, left knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities are all being remanded for further evaluation.,For the entire appeal period, the Veteran’s allergic rhinitis was not manifested by nasal polyps. His left elbow disability did not more nearly approximate flexion limited to 90 degrees, while his right elbow disability did not more nearly approximate flexion limited to 90 degrees.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuous symptoms since service are credible enough to resolve doubt in his favor.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, shoulder, knee, and neurological disorders. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to his military service.,There is no medical evidence linking any of the claimed disabilities to service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection have been granted. The VA has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are secondary to his service-connected back disability, and he is now eligible for DEA benefits based on permanent total disability status.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus, right knee strain, and left knee strain due to inadequate medical opinions in the prior remand. The claims are now pending again.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability and TDIU prior to April 25, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to its failure to consider the combined effect of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities in determining whether he is unemployable. The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU, but further development is needed to assess his occupational impairment caused by his service-connected conditions.

The Board granted a disability rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability beginning February 24, 2019, and separate ratings of 10 percent each for right and left knee instability beginning December 1, 2022.

The Veteran's right knee instability, lost flexion, and lost extension have been granted increased ratings of 20 percent each since December 6, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA examinations and addendum opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected knee and back disabilities, as well as the qualifications of the November 2023 examiner.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 3, 2014, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right knee disabilities. The appeal will be returned after compliance with appellate procedures.