Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for left hip arthritis, right knee arthritis, and left knee arthritis due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis and residuals of total knee replacement are granted a 20 percent rating from February 23, 2018, through October 14, 2018, and a 30 percent rating from December 1, 2019. The right knee degenerative arthritis is granted a 20 percent rating from February 23, 2018, to February 3, 2019, with instability rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's lumbar and right knee disabilities are granted as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.,Service connection for bilateral hip, foot, and ankle disabilities is also granted as secondary to the service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's lumbar disability, right knee disorder (semilunar), and left knee disorder were granted initial ratings of 20 percent each. The effective dates are not specified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral shin splints, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service. The TDIU claim was also denied as the Veteran had not been found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities prior to March 2019.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is granted, with a specific rating of 40 percent effective from September 5, 2017. The claims for increased ratings for traumatic arthritis of the right knee and right hip strain/femur fracture are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for a psychiatric disorder, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service records indicate he had sleepwalking issues and alcoholism during service, which may be related to his current mental health conditions and knee pain.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability as the evidence did not show it was incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board's decision is vacated in part due to a procedural error involving the processing of a Privacy Act request, and service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, and acquired psychiatric disability are granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for lumbar and heart disabilities, bilateral hearing loss disability. The remaining claims were denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and rating decisions on his service-connected left hip, right knee patellar tendonitis, and right knee instability.

The Veteran's right and left knee degenerative arthritis are currently rated at 10 percent each. The Board has remanded the issues for further development, including determining if service connection can be granted for left hip arthritis as secondary to his knees.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and lumbar spine strain. The appeal for a compensable rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy was also dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and spondylosis was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent prior to September 23, 2014, for left knee arthritis was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent beginning November 1, 2015, for left knee arthritis status post total knee replacement was denied.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to March 7, 2018, was not demonstrated and thus the claim must be denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee condition and lumbar degenerative disc disease have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Veteran's right knee DJD limitation of flexion was restored to a 20 percent rating effective July 30, 2011. The other issues regarding increased ratings and TDIU are remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and assigned a 10 percent rating. The Veteran's left knee and lower extremity stress fractures, right knee and lower extremity stress fractures, and right ankle sprain were each rated at the minimum compensable level (10%) due to painful motion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain, cubital tunnel syndrome, and other conditions, have prevented him from obtaining or following substantially gainful employment since August 1, 2009.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by limited flexion and extension, has been granted a separate rating of 10 percent for limitation of extension. A higher rating for limitation of flexion is denied.

The Board has granted a higher 20 percent rating for the Veteran's right knee disability, but the claims for left and right shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate development.