The Veteran's sleep apnea, left knee disability, and left ankle disability were evaluated. The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea due to lack of evidence linking it to service-connected PTSD. For the left knee disability, a rating in excess of 10 percent was denied from April 19, 2011, to June 26, 2014; a rating in excess of 30 percent was denied from August 1, 2015, to November 25, 2022; and a rating in excess of 60 percent was denied from November 26, 2022. The Veteran's left ankle disability received a 20 percent rating. A TDIU was also denied prior to November 19, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence linking the sleep apnea to service-connected PTSD and thus denied service connection on a secondary basis. For the left knee disability, the Board determined that the Veteran's range of motion did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under Diagnostic Codes 5260 or 5261 due to lack of objective findings supporting additional loss in motion.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, left knee disability, left ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 26, 2023
- Citation
- 23024081
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 23024081.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
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