Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has granted an effective date of July 21, 2004 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's combined disability rating was at least 70 percent since July 21, 2004.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for a left knee disability. The remaining issues of service connection for right hip, left arm, left shoulder, and left wrist disabilities are remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee and right hip are proximately due to his service-connected residuals, left foot injury. As a result, these claims for secondary service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for prior to October 19, 2020 is denied as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The SMC housebound rate claim is also denied due to the absence of a single, permanent service-connected disability rated at 100 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent since March 2014. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either knee.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was remanded by the Board in November 2020. Since then, he has been granted service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral and sciatic nerves and a scar of the right knee. The issue must be readjudicated considering all his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for DJD of the left knee and TDIU rating due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no evidence linking the current condition to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's initial rating for right knee patellar tendinitis and degenerative arthritis is denied. The Veteran's separate evaluation for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity prior to July 5, 2019, was also denied. Other issues are remanded.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis has been rated at 20 percent for limitation of flexion, 40 percent for limitation of extension, and 20 percent for instability. The total rating is 70 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, as well as right and left hip disorders, are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The Veteran contends that his current knee and hip conditions may be related to his active service, particularly his service-connected low back disorder.

The Veteran's left hip disability, bilateral knee degenerative changes, left ankle osteoarthritis, and right foot disabilities are all granted as service-connected.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for right knee degenerative arthritis and residuals of a right knee injury with instability due to inadequate range of motion testing in weight-bearing.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings of 60 percent each, effective from January 14, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot pes planus, right knee disability, and low back disability. The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.,The VA examiners provided opinions indicating that there was no direct link between the current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's left knee arthralgia with arthritis, post-operative, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his condition does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases due to lack of substantial compliance with previous instructions and for obtaining additional medical records.

The Veteran's right and left knee disorders have been rated at 10% each, but the evidence does not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's chronic body pain is related to his service or service-connected disabilities, specifically prostate cancer and PTSD. The Veteran needs a VA examination to clarify these issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome are being remanded due to incomplete records. Additional examinations may be necessary.