Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee disability due to incomplete service treatment records. Additional VA examinations are needed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, degenerative changes of the lower thoracic spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), left rotator cuff degenerative joint disease with impingement, left knee osteoarthritis and chondromalacia, and right knee osteoarthritis and chondromalacia are being remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete verification of the Veteran's Army Reserve duty periods and associated medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, lumbar spine disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, left knee disorder, right ankle disorder, and right foot disorder are denied.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities from May 13, 1991 through May 11, 2010 was denied. The effective date for the grant of basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 prior to May 12, 2010 was also denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep disorder, including sleep apnea, and her right knee disability need further examination to determine their etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, including shin splints, finding that there was no evidence to suggest injury or condition involving the left knee during active service.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability, effective April 22, 2010. The Veteran reported experiencing right knee instability prior to December 22, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, ankle, foot, and wrist disorders due to inadequate opinions in the February 2021 VA examination reports. The examiner is requested to provide addendum opinions addressing the nature and etiology of these disorders, including their relationship to service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right knee subluxation and limitation of motion, as well as his TDIU from July 1, 2014 onward, was granted. The Veteran now has a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not shown to preclude her from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and therefore a TDIU is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, lumbar spine disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of SSA disability benefits records, and requests for these records have not been completed.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for hysterectomy prior to June 3, 2019 is denied. Beginning June 3, 2019, the Veteran is granted a rating of 50 percent for her service-connected hysterectomy. The claim for TDIU is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability is granted. The claims for service connection for the right and left knee disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Board denied an effective date prior to October 5, 2004, for the award of a TDIU (Total Disability Rating Independent of Service Connection) due to lack of formal or informal claim for increased rating and/or TDIU prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate medical examination and incomplete opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for left thumb arthritis and remanded the remaining claims due to inadequacies in the newly provided VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, right knee, bilateral elbow, and right shoulder disorders. The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not considered to be related to her active military service or her service-connected fibromyalgia.

The Board has denied service connection for low back, right hip, left hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.