Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities need further examination and evaluation to determine their current severity, especially regarding functional loss during flare-ups. The case is being sent back for these evaluations.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to incomplete records and requests for employment information.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee disorder and TDIU claim, specifically because no VA examiner provided an opinion addressing the Veteran’s reports of ongoing pain since service.

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities due to a need for additional development, including an updated VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, finding no evidence of a relationship between his claimed conditions and service. The right knee condition is currently rated at 10%.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the Board finds that his conditions do not warrant higher ratings for PTSD, lumbar spine DDD, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, knee DJD, shoulder DJD, ankle DJD, elbow tendonitis, or foot plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left knee disability and any acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful employment, so the TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, bowel and bladder dysfunction, hip impairments, ankle strains, flat feet, knee limitations of flexion, shoulder disability, elbow bursitis/limitation of flexion, and tension headaches have been granted. The Veteran also received increased ratings for his right hip impairment and limitation of extension as well as a 60 percent rating for his lumbar spine disability effective November 13, 2014.

The Board has granted a 20 percent disability evaluation for left knee instability and denied increased evaluations for osteoarthritis of the left knee with limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding functional loss during flare-ups and repetitive use. The Veteran is seeking a higher disability rating for his left knee strain.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee strain have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his knee conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of marked limited motion in any ankle or knee, and thus no higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes could be granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding records and need for medical examinations. The issues include right knee, right ankle, left ankle disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee arthritis was granted, and he is now entitled to a 10% disability rating. The claims for right hip and left hip arthritis are remanded due to the need for further evaluation. His TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, including its relation to service and any aggravation by his right ankle disability.

The Veteran's right foot sprain, subpatellar chondromalacia of the knees, and right ankle sprain are being remanded for additional development to determine their current severity.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome and degenerative joint disease (DJD), finding that the Veteran's conditions originated during his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left knee disorders, as well as an initial rating higher than 10 percent for hypertension. The claims are being remanded for further development.,Service connection is not granted for the Veteran's current right and left knee disorders due to lack of evidence linking them to service.