Knee decisions — 2021

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability for the period prior to June 29, 2016 due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral leg disorder and entitlement to TDIU due to his service-connected bilateral flat feet. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD was previously granted a 50% rating, but the Board denied an increased rating to higher than 70%. The hearing loss claim remains pending as it is rated at 0%, and no effective date adjustment was made for ischemic heart disease.,For the right knee condition, the Veteran has been granted a 10% rating. However, his claim for a higher rating remains on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion to determine the approximate date of onset and severity since onset of left knee instability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and SSA benefits application.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right knee disability, secondary to a left knee disability, is granted as service-connected. The case is now remanded for further review.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his right knee disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for further development. The issues include lower back, neck, and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, as well as her claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right or left knee disability that was incurred in service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability and remanded the issue of left knee disability, to include as secondary to right knee disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Service connection has also been granted for degenerative arthritis of the left knee with total knee replacement, right knee with total knee replacement, and lumbar spine.

The Veteran's tinnitus and heart disease are granted service connection, while bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability are denied. Hyperlipidemia is not considered a disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's right knee instability and sprain status post arthroscopy have been rated at 10 percent each. The Board has remanded the case to obtain income information from SSA for the period prior to April 6, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The right shoulder, low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities are all found to be related to her service-connected right knee disabilities.,The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The right shoulder, low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities are all found to be related to her service-connected right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to his service-connected left knee disorder is remanded and will be readjudicated after further clarification of the nature of the August 2018 surgery.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and his TDIU claim was denied due to lack of a completed VA Form 21-8940 (TDIU application).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is not unemployable solely due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's lumbar strain and degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine (claimed as lower back condition), right hip osteoarthritis, and right knee condition.,There is no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and active duty.

The Veteran's left knee and right shoulder disabilities were evaluated, with some granted ratings and others denied. The decision on the right shoulder condition is mixed due to a separate grant for recurrent subluxation.