Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for right ankle, right knee, and tendonitis disabilities due to insufficient information. Additional records from SSA and VA are needed, as well as a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability, but has remanded the cases for further examination and rating considerations.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including limitation of flexion and extension, instability, and meniscus tear, is rated at a 60 percent since January 30, 2010.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which include PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, partial medial collateral ligament tear of the left knee, and tinnitus. His combined service-connected disability evaluation is 80 percent from July 30, 2010.

The Veteran's right knee disorder is granted with a 10% rating. The left knee disorder claim has been denied as not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for initial, compensable ratings for right and left knee strain are remanded due to inadequate examination reports regarding the extent of functional loss during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board finds that a current knee disability is not related to service, but does not deny service connection for arthritis with knee brace as there was no in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's right knee disability is productive of locking and slight instability. The Board has granted a separate rating for each condition, with the right knee locking receiving a 20% rating and the right knee instability receiving a 10% rating.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss, entitlement to a compensable initial rating for right ear hearing loss, and entitlement to higher initial ratings for right and left knee strain with patellofemoral pain. The Veteran must file a timely substantive appeal to perfect an appeal to the Board of these issues stemming from the March 2017 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee disability, hepatitis C, and an increased rating for the service-connected left shoulder disability. Additionally, the cause of death claim is also being remanded due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee and back conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 4, 2012. Prior to that date, the evidence did not support a TDIU claim.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of left knee injuries and scar tissue on the left knee, finding that there is a preponderance of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board has decided to remand several claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, right wrist, left wrist, right ankle, and right foot conditions due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and the need for additional medical records. The Veteran's right knee disability will be evaluated again with a new examination.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease is found to be at least as likely as not related to his in-service right knee injury and symptoms, thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the specific conditions remain unresolved.,Service connection has not yet been established for all of the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been granted an increased rating of 30 percent for limitation of motion, with a separate rating of 20 percent for semilunar cartilage condition with frequent locking and pain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no credible evidence linking his current conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of various injuries and conditions due to the Veteran's death.