Knee decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,The Board has remanded cases involving initial ratings for knee disabilities and a rating for adjustment disorder with depression to include anxiety.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right knee, low back, and right hip disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during active service or being related to such.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 20 percent prior to February 6, 2018 for degenerative arthritis and instability. From February 6, 2018 through March 31, 2019, a rating of 100 percent was granted for the residuals of total right knee replacement.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee disability is remanded due to the need for a new examination and additional information.

The Veteran's claims for metastasized renal cancer, BPH, and bilateral knee disability have all been denied as not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence, particularly regarding U.S. Army Reserve records and a VA examination predicated upon those records.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient examination reports and conflicting medical opinions. The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, but his right and left ankle disabilities are not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's range of motion measurements.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are deemed to meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant, but a VA examination is needed to determine her eligibility based on current functional impairment.

The Veteran's appeal seeking to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right ankle disability is dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal seeking entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability is dismissed.,Entitlement to a rating in excess of 80 percent for grand mal seizure disorder is denied.,Entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a left (minor) shoulder strain, impingement syndrome and labral tear with superior labral anterior-posterior lesion is denied.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, acne with residual scarring, sleep apnea, tension headaches, left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, left knee degenerative joint disease, right shoulder tendinitis, lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis, chronic right ankle strain, bilateral pes planus, right great toe injury, hypertension, left and right knee instability, and traumatic brain injury, have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment since June 11, 2012.

The Board has remanded the case for clarification of a pending claim for service connection for a right knee meniscal tear and readjudication of the rating for right knee chondromalacia patella with degenerative arthritis, in conjunction with the pending claim.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is remanded for further review.,The Veteran's sleep disorder claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to incomplete compliance with prior remand instructions. The appeal is also remanded for a new VA examination considering the newly amended musculoskeletal rating criteria, and for issuance of a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service complaints. However, it denied service connection for a skin disability due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a right knee disability due to insufficient evidence regarding her current condition and its relation to service. The Veteran was diagnosed with patellofemoral syndrome in 1988 during active duty, but there is no clear medical opinion linking her current disabilities to this diagnosis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability prior to October 7, 2020. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of TDIU prior to this date and grants the claim.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at a 20 percent rating as of February 9, 2015. The Veteran's left knee and leg disability is granted an initial rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee, lumbar spine, and related disabilities precluded him from securing or following substantially gainful employment as of July 14, 2011. The case is remanded for further development regarding TDIU prior to that date.