Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent since August 1, 2011. He also received a TDIU effective from that date.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his claims, and a new examination is needed to determine if any left ankle disability is related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current back disability began in or was otherwise caused by his fall from scaffolding during active-duty training in Wyoming. Service connection will be decided based on the evidence and findings of this examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of anxiety disorder and patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee prior to specific dates have been remanded due to procedural errors in previous decisions.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right knee arthroplasty prior to and after August 9, 2021 was denied. The maximum schedular rating of 60% is the highest available under Diagnostic Code 5055.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, and PTSD), right foot disability, left foot disability, heart disability, and pulmonary embolism are denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection of the acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the September 2021 VA examination report, specifically regarding functional loss during flare-ups and after repetitive use over time. The claim will be readjudicated following the additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for her right knee injury and for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The case requires further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting new examinations.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for total right and left knee replacements have been denied as the evidence does not support a rating higher than 60 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive heart disease has been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred in or aggravated by active service.,Service connection for left knee and right knee disabilities have also been denied. The VA examiner found no evidence of continuity or chronicity of any bilateral knee condition, and there is no indication that the Veteran is competent to etiologically link his symptoms to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings due to incomplete evidence and requests that additional development be conducted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for psoriatic arthritis, degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, left shoulder, and left knee were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastrointestinal disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and lumbar spine disability due to conflicting medical opinions. The Veteran's GERD claim is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of GERD.

Service connection for a left knee condition is granted.,Service connection for a lumbar spine condition, as secondary to the left knee condition, is granted.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to the lumbar spine condition, is granted.,A rating of 30 percent disabling, but no greater, for a left shoulder disability beginning January 10, 2020 is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been assigned a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum schedular rating authorized under the applicable criteria. The Board finds that an increased evaluation for tinnitus in excess of 10 percent is not warranted. For the remaining issues on appeal, the Veteran's right hip and knee conditions are remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and issuing a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC). The issues include ratings for various disabilities related to TBI, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, right shoulder, right knee, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left thumb sprain, right thumb disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, eye disability, ulnar nerve paresthesias, ankle and wrist disabilities, nausea, constipation, and other conditions.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in January 2011, July 2012, April 2016, December 2020, and June 2021 are not wholly adequate for rating purposes to evaluate the Veteran's knee claims. Therefore, another remand is warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a right knee total knee replacement and hearing loss, did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to August 3, 2012.

The Board has determined that the reduction in disability rating from 20% to 10% for lumbar disc disease with strain was not proper, and the issues of effective dates for knee disabilities are remanded.