Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss disability and right knee disability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal as his Notice of Disagreement was untimely filed, and thus the June 2009 rating decision is final.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence.,New and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claims for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, and psychiatric disorder. The lumbar spine disability claim was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis and strain are service-connected, as his current conditions can be traced back to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss in either ear.,Service connection for a left knee disability cannot be established due to the absence of a current disability and lack of evidence of an in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for right foot and left foot disabilities cannot be established because there is no current diagnosis of these conditions, and the Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish their onset during service.,The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for her right knee disability is denied as she does not meet the criteria for instability or other functional loss that would warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5260, 5261, and 5257.,Service connection for a psychiatric disability has been granted but the Veteran's claim for a TDIU is also granted as her condition alone prevents her from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right shoulder disability, sinus disability/allergic rhinitis, back disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), left knee disability, and sleep apnea. The claims are being remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities as well as a cervical spine disability due to inadequate reasons and bases in the previous decisions. The Veteran's statements regarding service connection will be considered during the examination process.

The Veteran's left knee surgery did not require at least one month of convalescence and resulted in severe postoperative residuals, thus the claim for a temporary total rating based on convalescence is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee degenerative arthritis, as well as OSA prior to March 5, 2024. The claims are being remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining an adequate examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a right leg disability, diagnosed as patellofemoral pain syndrome, on the basis that it is secondary to the veteran's service-connected left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and a right knee disability due to insufficient medical opinions addressing potential secondary service connection.

The Veteran's low back condition and right ankle condition were denied service connection. The left ankle, knee, hip, and psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) claims are remanded for further development.,Service connection is being remanded for the Veteran's left ankle, right knee, right hip, and psychiatric disorders (including PTSD).

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and ratings for left knee instability and degenerative joint disease due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 19, 2021 for the award of a separate 20 percent rating for right knee instability. The claim of entitlement to an initial higher rating is remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), to include as due to obesity as an intermediate step between his service-connected left knee disability and OSA, was not fully developed at the time of the April 2021 rating decision. The Board finds a duty-to-assist error occurred in this regard and thus remands the case for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of mid/lower back musculoskeletal condition with degenerative arthritis, right hip condition with degenerative arthritis, left hip condition with degenerative arthritis, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. As a result, the claims are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right middle finger condition and bilateral knee conditions require further examination to determine if they are related to his military service.

The Board has granted the readjudication of the claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and denied the readjudication of the claim for service connection for ingrown toenails.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and left knee disabilities, as well as a temporary total evaluation based on surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.