Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates have been withdrawn. The Board finds that the reduction of his disability rating from 30 percent to 10 percent was improper, and restored the original 30 percent evaluation.,The Veteran has been granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer, both presumed due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left eye disabilities have not been reopened. The claim for higher staged ratings for left ankle tendonitis is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability alone prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating effective May 1, 2021.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left knee disability is dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran was granted TDIU from May 28, 2015 to October 31, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. After this period, the Board denied TDIU as of October 31, 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incorrect legal standards used in previous opinions regarding aggravation of service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right and left knee arthritis, as well as meniscal tears, were denied. The decision does not specify the effective date.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a cardiovascular disability, prostate cancer, and right knee disability have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support these claims. The Board found the Veteran did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's left knee is rated at 20% for dislocation of semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain and effusion since February 17, 2009. A separate rating of 10% was granted for painful motion prior to October 13, 2016.,Service connection for a left hip condition secondary to the Veteran's left knee disability is remanded due to lack of evidence and need for medical opinion.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as service-connected. For the period prior to January 24, 2020, his cervical spine torticollis is rated at 10 percent and for the period from January 24, 2020, it is rated at 20 percent.,Right and left upper extremity radiculopathy are referred to the AOJ.

The Veteran's claim for a separate disability rating for urinary incontinence as a neurological complication of lumbar degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease is granted on and after January 13, 2016. The claims for TDIU, excess ratings for various knee conditions, right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, cervical spine disability, and kidney stones are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine and left knee disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions addressing nexus and aggravation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a right wrist injury, residuals of a right ankle sprain prior to March 26, 2019, and osteoarthritis of the right knee status post arthroscopic surgery have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for restoration of a 50% rating for osteoarthritis of the right knee status post arthroscopic surgery effective from October 28, 2011 has been granted.

The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of her condition, as previous examinations did not comply with requirements outlined in Correia and Sharp.

The Veteran was not found unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities during the relevant period prior to September 27, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee degenerative joint disease, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The issues of service connection for headache, right ankle, left ankle, back, and bilateral foot disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on left ankle sprain, right knee degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder degenerative arthritis have been dismissed due to failure to perfect an appeal. The Board has also determined that the issues of increased ratings for these conditions are not properly before it at this time as they were granted in a prior rating decision. The Veteran's claim for service connection for right side groin pain is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hemorrhoids, left great toe numbness, benign prostatic hyperplasia, right hand scar residuals, and others, have been denied. The appeals are based on the absence of current disabilities or evidence supporting the claimed conditions.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 23, 2021 for the award of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis. The Veteran's service-connected right knee and left knee disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to this date.