Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's right knee disorder, resulting in a rating of 60 percent from April 12, 2021, is granted. The hearing loss in the left ear is also granted.,Service connection for hearing loss is established due to noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to open medical questions regarding etiology. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, including any additional relevant VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and shin splints due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted an initial increased rating of 20 percent, effective from the date of this decision. A separate 20 percent rating for limitation of flexion in the right knee is also granted. The Veteran's left knee disability remains at a non-compensable rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative arthritis and instability, is not rated higher than the current assigned ratings.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal of the rating assigned for his service-connected right ankle disability is being remanded to ensure due process as additional evidence has been developed.,The Veteran's appeal of the rating assigned for his service-connected left knee disability is also being remanded to ensure due process as additional evidence has been developed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to complete a VA Form 21-8940, which is necessary for his TDIU claim. The AOJ must provide him with the form and assist in obtaining updated treatment records.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for valvular heart disease, back disability, and right knee disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right knee disorder and TDIU prior to August 26, 2010 due to inadequate examination and medical opinions. A new VA examination is needed.

The Board has found that further development is necessary before the Board can properly adjudicate the claims, including obtaining outstanding treatment records and scheduling VA examinations for the Veteran's disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee disability and neurological disability of the bilateral lower extremities due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. Additional development is needed, including obtaining addendum VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis and instability, is rated at a 10 percent rating from October 31, 2008 to September 7, 2011. The appeal for higher ratings was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being added to the record since the last decision in 2020. The Veteran and his representative did not respond to a request for them to review this additional evidence.

The Veteran was granted a 50 percent rating for chondromalacia of the right patella starting from August 13, 2021. He was also granted an initial 10 percent rating for instability of the right knee from February 11, 2011 to October 18, 2019.,The Veteran's recurrent patellar subluxation of the right knee is rated at a 10 percent since May 20, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as right and left knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the current conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for her right knee disability due to inadequate medical opinion and need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from engaging in gainful employment consistent with his education and experience, thus denying a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral knee disability was withdrawn during the hearing. The right shoulder disability remains in appellate status and is denied as it does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.,The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted, but his right shoulder disability must be remanded to determine if he meets the schedular requirement for consideration of TDIU due to other service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability remains in appellate status and needs further review.,The Veteran's appeal for a rating higher than 10 percent for his lumbar spine disability is pending, as it requires additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury, Vision Disability, Sleep Apnea, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hearing Loss Disability has been remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for Bilateral Knee Disability has been remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for Asthma has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to multiple issues remaining on appeal. The AOJ must review all new evidence and issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).