Knee Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection and ratings, effective from the date of the July 2016 phone call.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including osteoarthritis and partial medial meniscectomy, is rated at 20 percent effective September 15, 2010.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for entitlement to a disability evaluation in excess of 20 percent for residuals of right femur fracture and entitlement to a disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The appeal for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of left knee is REMANDED.

The Veteran's initial service connection for bilateral knees was granted at a 10% rating effective April 13, 2012. The RO denied increased ratings in August 2020, and the Board remanded the claims to provide an adequate examination. After an October 2019 VA examination, the RO again denied increased ratings.

The Veteran's left foot, right knee, and left ankle conditions are granted service connection.,The Veteran's lumbar spine and cervical spine conditions secondary to her service-connected right foot and/or left knee conditions are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's right knee disorder, rated under Diagnostic Codes 5010-5260, is currently rated at 40 percent from August 30, 2012, to July 31, 2014.,From October 1, 2014, to February 18, 2016, the Veteran's right knee lost flexion is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and new effective dates were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his left knee scar prior to February 4, 2014, but granted a separate 10 percent rating from June 6, 2016, through May 5, 2017, and extended this rating forward to the present. The Veteran's hypertension was also found not to meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, with a 30% rating for the left knee from January 8, 2020 to November 18, 2020. The Board has remanded cases regarding service connection for bilateral hip disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected left knee condition. The AOJ is required to obtain a retrospective opinion and schedule an adequate VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee disorder and neck disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a right knee disability due to service connection issues, requiring further examination and medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorders are related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability and have granted service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis from December 1, 2012 to July 11, 2013. The claim for TDIU prior to December 1, 2012 is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back, bilateral hip, left knee and right ankle disabilities are related to his service-connected right knee and left ankle disabilities. As a result, these conditions have been granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tension headaches, heart disabilities, left knee and ankle disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinus disability are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's knee disabilities were rated at 10 percent prior to June 25, 2020. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee instability is being remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant medical records from Pure Physical Therapy.

Your appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities has been dismissed because the issue is considered moot as it was already addressed in another pending appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disability, right knee disability (secondary to left knee), and right thumb disability due to duty-to-assist errors.