Knee decisions — 2024

The appeal of the TDIU issue is dismissed as moot. The Veteran's right knee instability and limited motion are rated at 30 percent, while his left knee instability and frequent episodes of locking are also rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's right knee instability and osteoarthritis have been granted ratings of 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively, effective prior to January 8, 2020. The current evidence does not support higher ratings for either condition.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 40 percent evaluation for left knee strain with degenerative arthritis is granted. The appeal for an increased rating in excess of 40 percent and a separate rating for instability are denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to inadequate development in the prior examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence of a current diagnosis and requires a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right knee condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back and left knee disabilities due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms will be considered, along with medical records.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of right knee condition, left knee condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than borderline personality disorder due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not rated higher than 10 percent due to lack of evidence supporting ankylosis, instability, or other conditions that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied separate compensable disability ratings for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome based on symptoms involving dislocated semilunar cartilage, finding that the evidence did not support frequent episodes of locking or effusion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his assertions of exposure to environmental toxins and injuries during military service. The cases are now pending before a VA examiner for further evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines and left and right knee conditions have been reopened, and the appeals are granted. The cases are remanded to provide medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's headaches and knee conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, left knee, and right knee conditions due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from August 29, 2018 to February 12, 2021 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral foot disability. The remand requires a new VA medical opinion addressing causation and aggravation of these disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was incurred in or caused by military service due to an in-service personal assault. The Board granted the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for recurrent right shoulder, left shoulder, right hip, left hip, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinions showing a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when taken together, prevent him from securing or following a 'substantially gainful' occupation given his prior vocational history and the impact of his service-connected right foot disabilities (i.e., pes planus, hallux valgus, and hallux rigidus), left foot disability(status post fracture with hallux valgus), back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, right foot and back scars, and GERD, when taken together, have on obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful non-sedentary employment and sedentary employment, including in his past employment as a police officer.

Service connection granted for right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder osteoarthritis.,Service connection denied for a left rotator cuff condition (claimed as shoulder/arm arthritis), vision loss, and bilateral hearing loss.