Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as his claim for TDIU prior to July 13, 2015. The remand is due to the need for new VA examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to March 4, 2014 is denied as the evidence does not show that he was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.

The appeal to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability is granted. Service connection for a right knee disability is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding service connection for left knee, right knee, and left hip disorders. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's left knee strain disability is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the functional effects of flare-ups and repetitive use on his knee.

The Veteran's claim for a left ankle disability is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of this condition.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been restored to its prior 20% rating effective October 1, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment from October 20, 2004, to April 7, 2010.

The Board has determined that the etiological opinions provided by VA examiners are not based on an accurate factual premise and lack probative weight. Therefore, these claims are remanded for additional development.,VA examiners have failed to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms and their continuity since service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee pain (osteoarthritis) and left knee pain (s/p total knee replacement). The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's left knee instability is rated at 30 percent from July 30, 2014 to August 28, 2020. The evaluation was denied as the symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's left knee disability is found to have onset during service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left lower extremity condition and arthritis. The examiner is required to provide a fully explained rationale for their opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for pleural disease with restrictive lung disease, right leg length discrepancy, and right knee osteoarthritis are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including consideration of all relevant evidence. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but not higher.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disorder, bilateral pes planus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and sleep apnea. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for DDD of the lumbosacral spine and chronic left knee musculoskeletal pain were denied as his conditions did not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knees and feet due to insufficient evidence in the record, including lack of contemporaneous medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, bilateral knee, and bilateral foot/ankle disorders due to inadequate VA opinions and unaccounted for active duty periods.

The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded for an adequate VA examination to determine its current severity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.