Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The left and right knee disabilities were denied as not incurred during or caused by his period of active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current condition and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions, tinnitus, and hearing loss due to potential errors in the previous VA examinations. The claims are being returned for further development.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for left knee strain is dismissed due to a procedural defect.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee condition. The VA must seek an additional opinion that considers the impact of obesity on the Veteran's right knee.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee pain and lower back pain as there is no evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, Barrett's Esophagus, left knee, and right hip disabilities due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The VA examinations are needed to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee strains, as well as left and right shoulder strain and labral tear. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service complaints of knee and shoulder pain during physical readiness training.,Reasoning: The evidence shows that the Veteran reported knee and shoulder pain during his military service, which led to diagnoses such as knee strain and shoulder impingement.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left knee disability, finding that his flexion and extension did not meet criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left knee condition, service connection for neck pain, and service connection for back pain were denied because the evidence did not show that the conditions occurred in or were caused by service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis status-post meniscal surgery was granted with an effective date of January 2, 1988.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of a right tibia fracture status post right ankle arthrodesis and intramedullary fixation with leg length discrepancy is denied. A separate 10 percent rating, but not higher, is granted for posttraumatic arthritis of the right knee.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is etiologically related to service and is secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder, lumbosacral strain, bilateral knee degenerative joint disease patellofemoral syndrome, right shoulder sprain, plantar fascitis, pes planus, and hallux valgus with degenerative changes.

The Board has granted the restoration of SMC at the housebound level, correcting an improper severance decision issued in May 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (major depressive disorder, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and left knee condition) prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since he last worked full time in May 2016. The Board finds that his TDIU claim is granted since October 31, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for a mouth and gum disability, sinus disability, and right knee disability due to the lack of current disabilities or persistent/recurrent symptoms that could be linked to service. The Veteran's claims were based on in-service events (bridge work, allergies, road marches) but no evidence supported ongoing functional impairment.

The Veteran's appeals for various disability ratings and benefits have been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disability, right ankle disability, deviated nasal septum, nerve disability (tingling and numbness) secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss disability, left knee disability, abdominal scar, and skin cancer.,The Board also remanded claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and prostate cancer.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and headaches have been denied. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to the failure to review relevant VA treatment records.,Service connection has not been established for a lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus with related neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).