Knee decisions — 2021

The Veteran's left knee arthritis and instability are granted with a rating of 30 percent from July 23, 2018 to July 25, 2019.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's left and right knee replacements, as well as separate ratings for left and right knee instability. The criteria for these ratings were not met.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the etiology of his right knee disability, bilateral foot disabilities, and bilateral hearing loss. The TDIU claim has also been raised.

The claims for SMC, increased rating for idiopathic partial simple seizure disorder, and service connection for hypertension, low back disorder, and a bilateral eye disorder are dismissed.,A TDIU due to the service-connected seizure disorder is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on all listed conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for new examinations to assess his acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee disability, and overall employment capacity.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, right knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Veteran's right ankle disability and scar are granted service connection. His generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder are granted a rating of 70 percent effective September 25, 2019, with a separate rating for instability due to his knee condition. The Veteran is also granted TDIU effective July 3, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss as they were not incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is granted as secondary to their service-connected left foot hallux valgus.,Service connection for a back disorder is denied.,Service connection for migraines is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral elbow disorder is denied.

The Veteran's left knee instability is granted a 10% rating prior to October 3, 2019.,The Veteran's right knee instability is granted a 10% rating from October 18, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination and consideration of both old and new rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right knee disability, left knee disability, and TDIU due to incomplete development of records from the Huntington VA Medical Center.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's knee and back disabilities, including service connection for right knee ligament disability. The left and right knee disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Veteran contends they warrant higher ratings. Service connection for erectile dysfunction due to Gulf War exposures is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and reopening of service connection due to new evidence added to the record.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left foot disability, left knee disability, TBI, bilateral hearing loss, and eye condition due to inadequate examinations and lack of nexus opinions.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for bilateral pes planus, claimed as plantar fasciitis; left ankle condition; right ankle condition; left knee condition; and right knee condition. The appeals are dismissed.

The Board has ordered the case back to be remanded due to missing service treatment records and a need for an examination. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on these new actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Substantive Appeal was timely filed, as her representative received and submitted it within 60 days of receiving the Statement of the Case (SOC) dated March 2017. The SOC was not properly sent or received by the Veteran and/or her representative.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and lumbosacral strain were granted with an effective date of January 19, 2016.