Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has granted a disability rating of 60 percent for the Veteran's residuals of right knee total knee replacement and right quadriceps atrophy from November 1, 2010 to January 11, 2011 and from March 1, 2012 to April 7, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease, right knee. The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service motorcycle accident injury.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a right knee disability, and the Board dismissed it.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further evaluation of his service-connected left knee disability, including a determination on an increased initial evaluation and whether he should receive a higher rating.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability due to failure to comply with the appropriate claims processing defect.,The evidence of record does not support finding that the Veteran had a left knee or right knee disability at any time during her military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to in-service onset of irritable bowel syndrome, residuals of a fractured left hand, cervical spine disorder, traumatic brain injury, and left knee disorder. The Veteran's current diagnoses include hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and thoracolumbar strain, precluded her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since September 30, 2019. An earlier effective date of September 30, 2019 for the grant of Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded due to inadequate examinations. The left knee and back disabilities need further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the TDIU award should be remanded to allow for extraschedular consideration due to the Veteran's service-connected low back pain, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's heart disability, respiratory disability, diabetes mellitus, and various peripheral neuropathies and radiculopathies are not service-connected. The cervical spine disability is also denied.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of unspecified depressive disorder with anxiety and insomnia, left knee meniscal tear, right knee meniscal tear, and individual unemployability are all granted. The effective date is set at November 14, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee meniscal tear with arthritis is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle fracture residuals with laxity. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issue.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability. The claim will be reconsidered with a new examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from securing and following substantially gainful employment, but she was granted a TDIU. However, the SMC at the housebound rate is denied as she does not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of consideration of certain theories of entitlement. The claims will be reconsidered with additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, right knee disability, and right shoulder disability, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to her active duty service.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left knee disorders, as his current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral dry eye syndrome, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and right knee disability due to inadequate VA opinions regarding their etiology.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee arthritis, claimed as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee instability is dismissed. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus remains pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to deficiencies in the record existing prior to the May 2019 rating decision. Additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, obesity, or another factor.