Knee decisions — 2021

The Veteran's right and left knee disorders, as well as his left ankle disorder, have been granted increased ratings. The right knee has been rated at 20% since July 18, 2008, for moderate lateral instability with pain during noncompensable motion loss. The left knee has also been rated at 20%, and the left ankle has been rated at 10%. These decisions are effective as of July 18, 2008.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability due to regulatory changes and the need for a new comprehensive VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, finding that her current left knee disability is not related to her military service and does not meet the criteria for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, left knee disability, and right knee disability are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction is also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to outstanding medical records, need for further examination, and consideration of TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates as these issues are not properly before the Board due to a lack of disagreement with the effective dates in the August 2020 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability. The appeal is dismissed for the remaining issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination of the Veteran's left knee strain.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability, bilateral knee disability, and right wrist disability due to inadequate opinions from previous VA examiners.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar strain myositis, central herniated nucleus pulposus at L4/L5 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further medical opinions regarding the appellant's character of discharge, service connection claims, and mental health status. The VA will seek additional records and conduct examinations to determine these issues.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions, as the previous VA examiner's report was deemed inadequate.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting opinions and need for additional development. The issues include left hip avascular necrosis, right knee disability, back disability, and right hip disability.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's right and left knee disorders, joint disorder (arthritis and/or gout), right foot disorder, and left foot disorder are related to service. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, right shoulder, right hip pain with functional impairment, and right knee meniscal tear, all found to be at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's 1997 car accident injury.

The Veteran's claim for traumatic arthritis of the right knee was reopened, but service connection is denied.,Service connection for a back condition and bilateral hearing loss are both denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an opinion regarding the Veteran's knee disabilities during flare-ups. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with the rating claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found no evidence of current right ear hearing loss, and the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss under VA regulations.