Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, thus the TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 21, 2017, for a 10 percent rating for a painful scar on her right knee is granted.,The Veteran's request for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for the painful scar associated with her total knee replacement surgery is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 9, 2007, for TDIU and DEA benefits is granted.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted with an effective date of February 1, 2006.,The earlier effective dates for both the TDIU and DEA were determined based on the Veteran meeting the schedular criteria for a TDIU as of that date.

The Board has denied service connection for an eating disorder, a head condition, and left knee joint osteoarthritis. The Veteran's current conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error in not addressing a secondary service connection claim for left knee disability, which was raised prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Veteran's lay statements indicate that his service-connected disabilities caused him to walk unevenly and shift his weight from side to side when standing, exacerbating his knee symptoms.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and medical opinion provided are inadequate for adjudicative purposes. The Veteran's left knee condition is remanded to obtain a new, adequate VA examination and medical opinion regarding its etiology.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no substitution request was made within the required timeframe.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal prior to a scheduled hearing.

The Veteran's right total knee replacement scarring is not compensable, as the evidence does not show it causes significant functional impairment.,Tarsal tunnel syndrome of the right foot warrants a 20 percent rating due to severe incomplete paralysis. The current 20 percent rating remains unchanged.,Bilateral hearing loss results in a noncompensable rating based on the Maryland CNC speech recognition scores and pure tone thresholds.,Right knee total replacement requires a higher rating, as the Veteran's condition does not meet the criteria for a 30 percent or higher rating under current diagnostic codes.,Left knee arthritis and ankylosis also require a higher rating due to the severity of the condition.,Retropatellar pain syndrome in the left knee warrants a compensable rating, as it is currently rated at zero percent.,Right leg osteochondroma requires a compensable rating based on its current noncompensable status.

The Veteran's request for a clothing allowance due to his service-connected right knee strain brace was denied because there is no evidence that the brace causes wear and tear on his clothing.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and left knee disability are found to be related to service, warranting their grant of service connection.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. However, there is no evidence that he has a current disability of hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has remanded multiple cases related to increased ratings and effective dates for various conditions, including a right foot heel fracture, an acquired psychiatric disorder, dermatitis with scarring, degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, distal phalanx fractures, scars from the knee and thumb, and bilateral hearing loss. The appeals also include requests for earlier effective dates for service connection.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis as secondary to right knee tendinopathy with osteoarthritis and for hemorrhoids due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Veteran's GERD and ankle, knee, hip disabilities were all denied increased ratings.,Specifically, the Veteran's GERD was rated at 10 percent, his right ankle disability at 10 percent, his left knee and right knee disabilities at 10 percent each, his left hip disability based on limitation of extension at 10 percent, his left hip disability based on limitation of flexion at 10 percent, and his right hip disability based on limitation of abduction at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee meniscal tear, which required surgery in 2021, had its onset during his active-duty service and is therefore service-connected.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, and post-operative right ankle fracture as the evidence did not support a link to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for her right knee post op, osteochondroma as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused or aggravated this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors and a lack of medical nexus, requiring further examination and opinions.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right knee disability is remanded. The issue remains on appeal and will be considered by the AOJ in the adjudication of those claims.

The Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis and total knee replacement, is due to his service-connected residuals of fracture, distal portion of the left tibia. The Board has granted entitlement to service connection for this condition.