Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back pain, hearing loss, and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment since September 4, 2014. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disability is directly related to service or caused by his now service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right knee osteoarthritis with medial meniscal tear residuals and total knee replacement residuals, and left knee osteoarthritis with medial meniscal tear residuals. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to February 13, 2012 is remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including an adjustment disorder, right knee and ankle disorders, eczema, bilateral arms, excessive sweating of the hands, a scar on the back of the mouth, and a hypertrophic scar of the right arm. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and TDIU was denied. For the period prior to March 30, 2021, his left knee conditions were rated as 10 percent for medial tear with osteoarthritis and chondromalacia patellofemoral compartment. From September 1, 2021 onwards, he received a TDIU based on the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is granted SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including depression and other conditions. The effective date of this decision is August 28, 2023.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his cervical spine and right knee disabilities, as well as service connection for constipation secondary to the cervical spine disability, are being remanded due to inadequate previous examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee conditions, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether these conditions arose during or as a result of his active service.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated based on limitation of flexion, with no compensable ratings for extension. The appeal is remanded due to new evidence.,For the period prior to August 8, 2018, the Veteran's left knee disability was rated at a non-compensable level for limitation of extension. For the period from August 8, 2018 onwards, the rating remains non-compensable.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient development and lack of substantial compliance with previous remands. Additional medical opinions are needed regarding the timing of knee arthritis onset and whether any back disability is secondary to knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed due to the passage of time and allegations of worsening, as well as the need for Correia-compliant testing.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back, right knee, and left knee conditions, finding that these conditions began during his active service and have continued since.

The Board has granted service connection for back arthritis and bilateral knee arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his periods of active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition due to new and material evidence submitted. However, further development is needed as a VA medical opinion is required regarding the etiology of any diagnosed left knee conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and skin disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including higher ratings for knee conditions and radiculopathy, as well as a certificate of eligibility for an automobile allowance. The AOJ is directed to obtain pertinent medical records and schedule examinations to address the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent effective December 28, 2022. The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disability due to inadequate previous examinations.

The Veteran's scars are not rated as compensable, but service connection for a back disability and chest mass is granted. Service connection for a hernia, right knee disability, and left knee disability is denied.,Service connection for the Veteran's back and chest disabilities is granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service. The Veteran's current hernia, right knee, and left knee disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for a stand-alone rating for sleep disturbance as secondary to chronic pain from service-connected knee and back disabilities, rather than as a symptom of service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is granted with a 60% rating from September 10, 2018, to June 22, 2022, and December 1, 2022. The issues of service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, claustrophobia, and OSA are remanded.