Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral foot, back, and knee disabilities due to inadequate examination in the previous decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee disabilities and TDIU due to the need for a retrospective medical opinion regarding functional loss and physical limitations during the appeal period.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted with a 20 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The back disability remains at 20 percent and hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals, along with other service-connected conditions, have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. A rating of 40 percent for prostate cancer residuals is granted, effective from August 15, 2016, and TDIU is also granted.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD, alcohol use disorder with TBI is denied. The Board finds that the appropriate effective date for the grant of service connection for these conditions is August 18, 2017. Service connection for left arm, shoulder, hip, knee, and low back disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and other conditions due to exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for embolism and thrombosis is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral leg disability other than her left knee strain, finding that there was no evidence of a separate disability causing functional impairment of earning capacity.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with the previous remand directives and thus, the case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU prior to April 4, 2018 due to service-connected disabilities that rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 30 percent for patella dislocation from October 1, 2009 to May 31, 2017. The rating was reduced to 0 percent effective June 1, 2017, but restored to 30 percent as of May 1, 2020. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings were denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a new VA examination to assess the Veteran's left knee disability. The right knee disability issue is also being remanded for a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left shoulder disability, and right hip disability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claim for hypertension is also being remanded as it may be related to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of skin cancer are also being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee chondromalacia first manifested during service and is not due to a pre-existing condition. Therefore, service connection for this disability is granted.

The Veteran's left ankle degenerative joint disease is now rated at 20 percent, effective January 9, 2012. Her left knee degenerative joint disease remains rated at 20 percent since September 23, 2019.

The Board has remanded the cases due to non-compliance with previous remand directives and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not found to be secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine and/or knee disabilities. The Board also denied the claim for TDIU prior to July 31, 2010.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee conditions, as well as his right and left shoulder conditions, have been granted. Service connection has also been established for the lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment as of February 29, 2020. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether his service-connected disabilities alone are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and her lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent. Both conditions are remanded for further development.