Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma with obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder bursitis, tinnitus, left knee limitations, and right knee instability, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 17, 2018. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board denied service connection for lower back degenerative arthritis, diabetes mellitus type II, and left knee surgical scar.,There is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Right Knee Condition, Left Knee Condition, and Bilateral Foot Condition are all granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, cervical spine disability, and increased ratings for her left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,An effective date earlier than March 18, 2017, is not warranted for the award of service connection for fibromyalgia, left knee extension, or left knee flexion.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for left knee strain, but denied any higher ratings. The decision was based on the Veteran's pre-aggravation baseline severity and current flexion limited to 35 degrees.

An effective date of August 25, 2011, is granted for the award of service connection for left knee instability.,A rating of 60 percent for revision s/p left total knee replacement is granted prior to March 17, 2020.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by semilunar cartilage dislocation with frequent episodes of 'locking', pain, and effusion into the joint, is granted a 20 percent rating. The right knee instability is granted a 20 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his military service and grants direct service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right knee instability was rated as 10% from July 1, 2013 to May 5, 2022 and denied a higher rating.,From May 6, 2022, the Veteran's right knee instability was rated as 20%, but he is still denied a higher rating for this period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee and lumbar spine disabilities due to inadequate medical examinations and failure to address certain evidence in prior decisions.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection of right shoulder condition, bilateral knee condition, left shoulder condition, and bilateral flatfeet. The case is being remanded to allow for further development including VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting examinations to assess the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his right knee scar is denied, and the Board has remanded the issue of an increased disability rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease due to inadequate VA examination findings.

The Board granted service connection for right knee strain and assigned a 10% disability rating effective from April 23, 2021. The TDIU was granted effective from May 9, 2022, based on the Veteran's PTSD and other disabilities independently rated at least 60%. SMC at the statutory housebound rate was granted effective from May 9, 2022.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including high cholesterol, left knee disability, left hip disability, hypertension, prostate cancer, posttraumatic stress disorder, bilateral hearing loss, right hip disability with limitation of extension, right hip disability with limitation of flexion, right knee disability, and right ankle disabilities have all been denied. The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any diagnoses or complaints related to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck, back, and left knee disorders due to incomplete pre-decisional duty to assist.

The Board's decision is partially vacated, addressing the issues of service connection for right knee disability, right shoulder disability, and right wrist disability. These were not appealed in the June 21, 2022 VA Form 10182.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from April 11, 2013, to March 20, 2014. The effective date for the TDIU is based on his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.,The appeal regarding an effective date prior to March 21, 2014, for a separate rating of right knee instability and recurrent subluxation was dismissed.

The Board denied eligibility for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the March 2022 Rating Decision, as the decision was not an appeal of a prior decision but rather an initial claim.

The Board has determined that the reduction of disability ratings for service-connected right and left knee disabilities from 30 percent to 10 percent was improper, and therefore restored the original 30 percent rating.