Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left knee bursitis with degenerative arthritis is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and testing.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection for joint pain, specifically low back, bilateral hips, right knee, and right wrist due to insufficient evidence regarding a direct relationship to in-service duties. Additional development is needed to address whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his exposure on concrete and steel decks during service.

The Veteran's appeal for avitaminosis, also claimed as weight loss, has been dismissed. The claims for service connection for various disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional development of his service records and outpatient treatment records.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been granted a rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for painful limitation of motion and instability.,Over the entire appeal period, the Veteran has not met the criteria for entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Board has determined that there are outstanding private treatment records and the Veteran's request for a hearing. Additionally, the claims of service connection for bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hip pain, and bilateral knee conditions require additional medical opinions due to conflicting or insufficient evidence in the record. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD also requires further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of right knee disability and service connection for lumbar spine disability due to incomplete development and inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition is granted. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for thoracolumbar strain are remanded.

The Veteran's reduction in disability rating from 10% to 0% for a scar of the left knee was not proper, and therefore his disability rating is restored to 10%. His claim for an increased rating for painful scarring of the left knee was denied. The extension of temporary total evaluations due to treatment or convalescence for a service-connected left knee disability were granted.

The Veteran's right knee instability is rated at 20 percent effective April 9, 2014, and continues to February 7, 2021. The rating for limitation of flexion remains at 10 percent from April 9, 2014, to April 12, 2017, and is then denied. The rating for limitation of extension remains at noncompensable.

The Veteran's GERD is rated at a 30 percent rating, effective February 7, 2021. The left knee disability is not entitled to an increased rating.

The appeal regarding entitlement to a higher rating for TBI is dismissed. A rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied. The remaining issues are remanded.

The Veteran's patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, but his flexion has been limited to at most 30 degrees since September 7, 2022. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted and remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claims for knee disabilities and scars are granted. The Board finds additional development is needed to address the Veteran's shin splints.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the disability ratings for left and right knee degenerative joint disease, so these issues are dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma and restrictive lung disease, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are presumptively related to his in-service exposure to burn pits. The low back disorder and bilateral knee disorder claims have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to failure of the Veteran to attend scheduled VA examinations. The case is returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board denied extensions of temporary total ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for postoperative residuals such as immobilization or use of assistive devices.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of January 25, 2012, and as of September 22, 2016. The Board granted the TDIU during this period.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral knee disability. Service connection is denied for hemorrhoids.