Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for left ring finger dysfunction, right knee synovial plica syndrome, and right knee anterior cruciate ligament osteolysis due to inadequate VA examinations in October 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral foot fungus. Service connection is also granted for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left ankle enthesopathy, right ankle enthesopathy with LCL sprain, osteoarthritis of the left knee, and osteoarthritis of the right knee.,The Board has remanded service connection for a left hip condition, right hip condition, and right shoulder rotator cuff condition.

The Veteran's claims for lumbar spondylosis and DDD, bilateral pes planus, gout, right knee degenerative arthritis and gout, left knee degenerative arthritis and gout, right great toe degenerative arthritis and gout, and left great toe degenerative arthritis were granted effective from May 7, 2010. The Board found no legal basis to award an earlier effective date for any of these grants.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral foot disability, knee disability, or great toe disability prior to May 7, 2010 were not pending and thus denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left leg disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection. The claims of service connection for PTSD, right leg disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) was dismissed. The Board also remanded the issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent and to a compensable rating thereafter, for right knee instability, and entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left knee disability, and a left knee scar due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee conditions, finding that these disabilities began during his military service.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence for the Veteran's claims of service connection for left foot disability and right knee disability. The case is being remanded to consider these issues on their merits.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw his appeal concerning four specific conditions: bilateral foot condition, right upper arm condition, right knee condition, and left knee condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The left knee disability was not rated higher than 10 percent, the right knee disability was not rated higher than 10 percent, and the acquired psychiatric disability was not rated higher than 50 percent prior to December 22, 2020 or 70 percent from that date onwards. Service connection for left hip, right hip, cervical spine, bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral hearing loss, and sleep apnea were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for left knee osteoarthritis was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's flexion in his left knee exceeded the required limitation of motion for a higher rating, but did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under DC 5003 or DC 5260. The Board also remanded the issues regarding service connection for right and left hip conditions due to insufficient evidence from a VA examination.

The Veteran's authorized representative withdrew the claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease and bilateral knee disabilities prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 40 percent, effective from the date entitlement arose (October 1, 2003).,The Veteran's left hip strain is rated at 40 percent, effective from the date entitlement arose (October 1, 2003).,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) secondary to service-connected back, knee, and hip disabilities has been granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to a lack of adequate VA medical examinations or medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been granted. The TDIU claim is also granted, but the effective date for the right knee disability remains unchanged.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than September 14, 2020 for the grants of service connection for left knee instability and left knee sprain. The decision found that the Veteran did not timely appeal the December 2018 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea on a secondary basis to the extent that it is caused by the Veteran's right knee disability, which led to obesity and subsequently developed into obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral knee condition is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease and esophageal/digestive condition are denied.

The Board has determined that there were errors in the duty to assist and remands several issues for further development, including psychiatric disorders, back disability, sleep apnea, right knee disability, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for a right elbow condition, right knee condition, and fractured finger, left little finger have all been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a left upper extremity condition manifesting in tingling from the left elbow to the left little finger has been remanded.