Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, right knee strain, and left knee strain. The Veteran's current disabilities are in equipoise with respect to their relation to service.,Service connection is also granted for migraine headaches, including migraine variants, due to exposure to burn pits during service.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected right knee strain, and the Board has granted secondary service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disabilities due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to obtain relevant non-VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left knee disabilities due to a lack of proper consideration during the reduction process.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right shoulder conditions due to incomplete records, inadequate VA opinions, and potential toxic exposure risk activities at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that the VA decision on appeal is not complete and requires additional evidence to make a determination. The Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities are found to have caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn led to his current OSA.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities prior to November 11, 2021 is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the severity of his disability and determine if there was ankylosis during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, right knee condition, and left knee condition are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Board will seek additional opinions from medical experts.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity of care and insufficient nexus between his current condition and any in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right knee degenerative arthritis with limitation of flexion and extension were denied as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to her total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The appeals are being remanded.

The Veteran's TBI and migraine headaches are granted as service-connected. The cervical spine, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded for further review.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for a left knee disability, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected left ankle and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and multiple hip and knee conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU based on these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for AVM residuals, brain tumor residuals (including left arm and left knee disabilities), and nasal condition due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The case will be reviewed again with additional evidence considered.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed because he is already receiving a combined schedular rating of 100% for his service-connected disabilities, which means he does not have any single disability rated as totally disabling and thus does not meet the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board has granted readjudication of the prior denial of a TDIU due to new evidence submitted with the November 30, 2021 supplemental claim. However, the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities do not meet the schedular percentage threshold for a TDIU and her unemployability is attributed primarily to her mental health disorder.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's right knee scar. The left ankle sprain issue is remanded due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to lack of statutory or regulatory authority, and the AOJ correctly started payment in October 2021.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis, including limitation of extension and lateral instability, is granted with a 20 percent disability rating.