Knee Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and initial ratings for lumbosacral strain and left knee strain with chondrocalcinosis and degenerative arthritis, finding that there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been remanded due to the complexity of the issues.,No new or material evidence was presented, so no changes in rating were granted.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 60 percent, and the appeal for a higher rating is granted. The TDIU claim is remanded due to incomplete information.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and left hip disabilities due to procedural issues with the Notice of Disagreement form.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for left knee conditions was granted, with a final rating of 30 percent for the entire period on appeal. The decision includes separate ratings for limitation of flexion (10%), limitation of extension (10%), and instability (10%).

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability was granted, with a 60 percent rating effective from June 1, 2010. The decision also denied a higher rating based on limitation of flexion from January 14, 2009 to April 6, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for left knee disability with limitation of extension and flexion was denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.

The Board has identified procedural defects in the rating reduction of left-knee extension and flexion, and is remanding the case for issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Veteran's headaches are granted a 30 percent rating prior to September 28, 2018 and a 50 percent rating thereafter. The right knee disability is remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee strain, lumbosacral strain (lumbar strain disability), bilateral wrist strains due to deficiencies in the adequacy of prior VA examinations and need for additional clarification regarding functional loss.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating due to normal range of motion. The left knee disability was initially rated noncompensable but later assigned a 10 percent rating. Both conditions are currently remanded for further development.,A left inguinal hernia has been remanded for evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee arthritis and strain, but denied service connection for his right knee disorder (including arthritis), right shin splints, left shin splints, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and right foot disorder. The decision is based on the finding that the preexisting left knee disability was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for his lumbosacral strain, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left and right knee strains, and lateral collateral ligament strain of the ankles are being remanded due to inadequate examinations and potential additional functional loss during flare-ups or repetitive use.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to inadequate examinations and insufficient medical evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee instability, lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis, right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of at least 10 percent each since June 20, 2007.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded for additional development to address employment history, the nature and etiology of service-connected disabilities, and other medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate examination reports and the need for a retrospective medical opinion considering flare-ups and repetitive use over time.

The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia patella is rated at 10 percent, effective April 20, 2012. A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability from March 20, 2018, but no earlier, was granted.

The Board dismissed appeals for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, an earlier effective date for the assignment of a 10 percent rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome prior to January 18, 2018, and earlier effective dates for service connection for TBI and tension headaches. The Board also granted an effective date of January 18, 2018, but no earlier, for the grant of service connection for PTSD.