Knee decisions — 2021

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and therefore no effective date determinations were made.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for right hip arthritis, right knee arthritis, right ankle arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, right elbow arthritis, and right wrist arthritis. The reasons include the need to obtain VA treatment records and VRE records, as well as a new VA examination to assess current right extremity joint conditions.

The Board has restored a separate rating for left knee subluxation from August 1, 2012.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues with his lumbar spine, hearing loss, tinnitus, thoracic spine, and right knee disabilities. The claims are being reviewed again as separate issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,A TDIU claim is also being remanded as part of this appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and increased ratings for chronic right knee strain and chronic left knee strain, with a rating of 10 percent each.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder-AC separation, right knee strain (recharacterized as total knee replacement), cervical spine disability, lumbosacral strain, left elbow avulsion injury with residuals, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, GERD, malaria residuals, headaches, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for his right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for his left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding service records that need to be obtained for a right knee disorder, including an SF 600 Chronological Record of Medical Care from April 2012 to May 2013.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and right knee disabilities, but has remanded them due to additional development being needed. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and heart disorder are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has dismissed the issues related to right arm tendonitis, left subacromial subdeltoid bursitis, and left shoulder service connection as they were not on appeal. The remaining claims of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral plantar fasciitis, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and lumbosacral strain are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's left and right total knee replacements are rated at 60 percent prior to September 25, 2020. Ratings in excess of 60 percent for both knees since that date are denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hip and right knee disorders are being remanded for further development to determine if they are secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine, lower extremity, left knee, and left foot disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee condition is rated at 30 percent from January 5, 2017 to January 31, 2020 and 10 percent otherwise. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.,Major depressive disorder is currently rated at 50 percent prior to February 21, 2020 and 30 percent thereafter.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected right ankle and right knee disabilities due to inadequate examinations, including a failure to provide an adequate VA examination in compliance with Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) and Correia v. McDonald (2016). The claims for increased ratings are remanded as well as the extraschedular rating claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding no evidence of a current disability related to his service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's right knee DJD and late effects of patella fracture are not service-connected.,His cataracts and glaucoma (vision problems) were not attributable to service.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for the Veteran's right and left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the conditions have not met criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

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