Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depression and anxiety disorder, was found to be causally linked to his service-connected traumatic brain injury. His tinnitus was also granted based on credible reports of in-service noise exposure.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for her right knee and left knee conditions due to prior decisions in the legacy system. The Veteran's claim is not currently before the Board.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder.,The Veteran's claims for back and left knee conditions are remanded due to inadequate opinions in the March 2022 VA examination.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,Right knee degenerative arthritis and left knee degenerative arthritis are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of SMC based on this need.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS, left ankle instability, lower back condition, and right knee pain as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under DC 5261 for limitation of extension to 10 degrees. The Board denied a higher rating as there was no evidence of more than 10 degrees of extension.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw it prior to a decision being made.

Your service connection claims for a lumbar spine disability and a right knee disability have been granted, effective from June 29, 2021. The Board has dismissed your appeals as the claims were fully addressed in the December 2023 rating decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity in service or within the applicable presumptive period and concluding that the current disorders are not related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, and the claims for left ankle, left knee, and right knee disabilities are remanded due to procedural errors.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for an increased rating of the Veteran's right knee disability due to incomplete evidence and need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 30, 2023. The Board found that the Veteran is precluded from substantial gainful employment due to his functional limitations caused by multiple service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee disability is being remanded due to an inadequate medical examination. The examiner was not able to provide information about the severity, frequency, and duration of any flare-ups.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, which has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for left knee disability, low back disability, and hemorrhoids have been denied. The VA has determined that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating in any of these cases.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as sleep-wake disorder and PTSD), a low back disorder, right knee disorders, left knee disorders, right foot disorders, and left foot disorders are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The claims will be reconsidered after new examinations have been conducted.

The Veteran withdrew all pending appeals, including those for higher ratings and service connection.

The Veteran did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits due to a total disability immediately preceding death, and there is no indication that his cause of death was related to service. The appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR) for a survivor's pension, so she does not qualify for this benefit either.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities caused him to become obese, which in turn caused his Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Therefore, the claim for secondary service connection for OSA is granted.