Knee Board decisions

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left knee disorder because the Veteran's current diagnoses of left knee joint osteoarthritis and meniscal tear are not considered an additional disability after participation in the CWT program.

The Veteran's left knee condition and right knee bursitis are granted as secondary to her service-connected right foot hallux valgus.,Her GERD is granted with an initial rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's residuals of a right knee total knee replacement are currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board has determined that this rating is not higher than what is warranted.

The Board denied service connection for lower back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing the conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service. The Veteran's service records did not indicate any complaints or treatment related to these issues.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective March 28, 2016 to October 7, 2019. The appeal for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right foot, right knee, left knee, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining relevant personnel records and providing supplemental opinions.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for vertigo, left foot condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left hip condition, and right hip condition due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back, hernia, and left knee disabilities were previously denied due to lack of new and relevant evidence. The Board has not readjudicated these claims as the Veteran did not submit such evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, right knee disability, left knee disability, and psychiatric disability (including depression and PTSD) due to a duty-to-assist error regarding private treatment records. The Veteran is requested to provide authorization for VA to obtain these records.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for her service-connected migraine headaches and left knee medial plica excision was denied. The Veteran had a noncompensable rating for migraines since October 1, 2001, but the Board found no evidence of characteristic prostrating attacks to warrant a higher rating. For the left knee condition, she received a 10 percent disability rating effective October 1, 2018, and the Board did not find any basis for an increased rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to address the Veteran's theory of entitlement involving his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities and obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board has remanded the claims for tinnitus and right hand and knee conditions due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service in Southwest Asia is noted, but no specific exposure basis was provided.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the service connection for left knee, right knee, right ear hearing loss, thoracolumbar spine, and peptic ulcer disabilities before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinions regarding secondary service connection for left hip osteoarthritis are inadequate and requires further development of medical opinion evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as his claim for an initial compensable evaluation for erectile dysfunction. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for erectile dysfunction due to his already compensated loss of use of a creative organ.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder and left knee disabilities, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to in-service injuries.

The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia patella is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has denied a higher rating as there was no evidence of limitation of motion to 30 degrees or ankylosis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of various disabilities, including hearing loss, psychiatric conditions, sleep apnea, GERD, ulcers, prostate issues, hyperlipidemia, neck, back, ankle, elbow, eye glaucoma, foot, hip, shoulder, wrist, and knee disabilities are being remanded due to incomplete records and need for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for low back, left shoulder, right knee, and right ankle disabilities have been remanded due to inadequate VA examinations conducted in August 2020. The Board requires new VA examinations with retrospective opinions to address the functional loss and additional impairment during flare-ups.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, arthritis of the lumbar spine, and various hip and knee conditions, have rendered him unable to perform daily activities without assistance. The Board has determined that he requires regular aid and attendance due to these disabilities.