Knee Board decisions

The Veteran is granted TDIU based on all service-connected disabilities from December 19, 2016, to December 19, 2022, and TDIU based on the left hip orthopedic disability alone since December 20, 2022.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted on a schedular basis from September 25, 2017. The Board has also remanded the issue of TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to September 25, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, right knee condition, and left knee condition. The Veteran's hypertension was found to have existed prior to service and not aggravated by service. Her right and left knee conditions were not shown as chronic in service or related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Board also noted that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of bilateral knee instability but did not find it to be related to her service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis with strain and a torn anterior cruciate ligament, finding that it is caused by overcompensating for his service-connected right knee degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for left knee strain is dismissed.,Service connection granted for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected left knee strain, and right knee disability and lumbar spine disability are also granted. Service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted.,A remand is ordered for a determination on the Veteran's claim of an increased rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is secondary to his service-connected right knee condition and grants service connection for this disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient medical documentation in his file, and a need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar strain, left knee internal derangement of medial meniscus, left knee osteoarthritis with degenerative joint disease, right knee internal derangement of medial meniscus, and right knee osteoarthritis with degenerative joint disease due to new evidence from his Reserve service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees due to a lack of proper range of motion measurements in the latest VA examination.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from January 10, 2005 to September 23, 2008. The Board found that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment during this period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 13, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome was denied, and a separate initial 10 percent rating was granted for right knee instability.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, arthritis of the right ankle and knee, hiatal hernia, muscle condition, skin condition, and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral pes planus, back condition as secondary to bilateral pes planus, and bilateral knee condition as secondary to bilateral pes planus is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The rating reduction from 10 percent to noncompensable for left knee instability was not proper, and the 10 percent rating is restored effective October 1, 2018. The Veteran's increased ratings claim for his left knee disability is remanded.

The Board has determined that there is not substantial compliance with previous remand directives and thus the case must be returned for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent disabling since June 12, 2018. The Board has granted separate 10 percent ratings for painful flexion of the right and left knees from February 7, 2023.,Service connection for a left wrist disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence in the current record.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claims for left knee disability, TBI, left wrist disability, cervical spine disability, and a left hip disability (secondary to right hip) was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The Board found that the Veteran did not have current diagnoses or functional impairment related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the reduction of disability ratings for left and right knee instability from 10% to 0% is void ab initio. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral foot condition has been reopened due to new evidence received since the April 2016 rating decision. The claims for increased ratings for various conditions are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right knee disability was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board's decision. The appeals for left knee and left elbow disabilities are remanded.