Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spondylolisthesis, adjustment disorder, left knee strain, tinnitus, and right elbow trauma, are found to render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee strain with osteoarthritis disability is related to his service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for rib disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and IBS due to new evidence received since the last decision. The claims are currently pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding combat service and their relationship to service. The Veteran is also being asked to provide information about his reported combat incidents.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in him needing regular aid and attendance due to his physical limitations caused by his orthopedic conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for further review due to inadequate assessments of the Veteran's knee disabilities and clarification on his employment history.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain, left and right weak quadriceps muscles, and residuals of a right femur fracture disabilities are being remanded for additional examinations to determine their current severity. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issues.

The Veteran's right knee tendonitis was rated at 10 percent prior to December 2019, but the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, right hip, left knee, right knee, and right ankle disabilities due to a parachute jump incident in 1963. The VA will need to schedule new examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and right shoulder and knee conditions, do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating.,For the appeal period beginning on July 15, 2021, the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis with meniscal tear was rated at 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and failure to provide adequate reasons or bases for denying a separate rating for instability. The Veteran's left knee disability claims are being remanded to obtain private treatment records from his primary care provider.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues except hypertension is remanded. The Board will consider the claim of service connection for hypertension, which may be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided in connection with the claims for residuals of a heat stroke and left knee disability were inadequate, due to the absence of substantial compliance with the April 2020 remand directives. The case is therefore REMANDED for new VA examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's right knee replacement and related radiculopathy conditions have been granted service connection, with a separate evaluation for instability. The claim for an increased rating for the total knee replacement has been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination.

The Board denied the claim for TDIU, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left knee disabilities have been granted service connection. The remaining issues of radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities as well as right shoulder strain and right knee arthritis with chondromalacia are remanded for further evaluation.