Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty, but additional evidence is needed.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for left knee disability, diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction due to incomplete medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, and right knee strain due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiners' opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left hip osteoarthritis and left knee status post total replacement, are now rated as 60 percent disabling when combined with other conditions. Effective January 30, 2023, the Veteran is granted special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he has completed at least four years of college and worked as a college professor for over 30 years. The Board finds that the combined effect of his service-connected conditions does not preclude him from participating in a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of October 27, 2016, for a 10% rating for his painful right knee scar. The earliest effective date allowed by the record is October 27, 2016, as the Veteran has continuously pursued his claim since then.

The Board is remanding all issues of service connection for hand, knee, shoulder, and peripheral neuropathy disabilities due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for various conditions due to a lack of an initial substitution eligibility determination by the AOJ.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability was denied. However, the Board granted a TDIU effective from November 6, 2019, based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits were granted from December 2, 2018 to July 7, 2019 due to his service-connected right hip and bilateral knee disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the adequacy of a previous VA medical opinion and the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether obesity is an intermediate step between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his right knee disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder and all remaining issues. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The evidence does not establish an in-service injury, disease, or event for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and right knee disorders due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing whether his bilateral hip and right knee disorders are related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis on an aggravation basis and tinnitus, but dismissed the claim of left knee disability due to withdrawal by the Veteran.,Service connection is established for right knee degenerative arthritis with ACL repair and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claims for a left and right knee disability due to an error in obtaining medical opinions prior to the April 2022 rating decision. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion considering the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuity of symptoms since service, as well as post-service medical records showing treatment for knee pain.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and pes planus of both feet. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran had these conditions during her active service or at any time since then.,For plantar fasciitis of the left foot, the Board found no current disability meeting the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD and remanded the claims of service connection for right hip, left elbow, right elbow, and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee strain.