Knee Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no substitution request was made within the required timeframe.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal prior to a scheduled hearing.

The Veteran's right total knee replacement scarring is not compensable, as the evidence does not show it causes significant functional impairment.,Tarsal tunnel syndrome of the right foot warrants a 20 percent rating due to severe incomplete paralysis. The current 20 percent rating remains unchanged.,Bilateral hearing loss results in a noncompensable rating based on the Maryland CNC speech recognition scores and pure tone thresholds.,Right knee total replacement requires a higher rating, as the Veteran's condition does not meet the criteria for a 30 percent or higher rating under current diagnostic codes.,Left knee arthritis and ankylosis also require a higher rating due to the severity of the condition.,Retropatellar pain syndrome in the left knee warrants a compensable rating, as it is currently rated at zero percent.,Right leg osteochondroma requires a compensable rating based on its current noncompensable status.

The Veteran's request for a clothing allowance due to his service-connected right knee strain brace was denied because there is no evidence that the brace causes wear and tear on his clothing.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and left knee disability are found to be related to service, warranting their grant of service connection.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. However, there is no evidence that he has a current disability of hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has remanded multiple cases related to increased ratings and effective dates for various conditions, including a right foot heel fracture, an acquired psychiatric disorder, dermatitis with scarring, degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, distal phalanx fractures, scars from the knee and thumb, and bilateral hearing loss. The appeals also include requests for earlier effective dates for service connection.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis as secondary to right knee tendinopathy with osteoarthritis and for hemorrhoids due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Veteran's GERD and ankle, knee, hip disabilities were all denied increased ratings.,Specifically, the Veteran's GERD was rated at 10 percent, his right ankle disability at 10 percent, his left knee and right knee disabilities at 10 percent each, his left hip disability based on limitation of extension at 10 percent, his left hip disability based on limitation of flexion at 10 percent, and his right hip disability based on limitation of abduction at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee meniscal tear, which required surgery in 2021, had its onset during his active-duty service and is therefore service-connected.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, and post-operative right ankle fracture as the evidence did not support a link to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for her right knee post op, osteochondroma as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused or aggravated this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors and a lack of medical nexus, requiring further examination and opinions.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right knee disability is remanded. The issue remains on appeal and will be considered by the AOJ in the adjudication of those claims.

The Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis and total knee replacement, is due to his service-connected residuals of fracture, distal portion of the left tibia. The Board has granted entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for right knee pain and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions, and the evidence did not support granting either claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and right knee strain, as well as service connection for a back condition (claimed as back pain), were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent under DC 5260 for right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's GERD with residuals of right knee meniscal tear with degenerative arthritis is rated at a 30 percent disability rating, effective from April 9, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis, cervical spine (claimed as neck disability), left knee strain, and right knee strain due to a lack of adequate rationale in the previous VA medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including gathering additional evidence to support claims for increased disability evaluations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and ankle disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The case is now pending with a request for a supplemental examination.