Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right hip and left knee disorders due to incomplete VA opinions. The case is returned to obtain further evaluations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 1, 2016. The Board denied the claim for TDIU on both schedular and extraschedular grounds.

The Veteran's right femoral neuropathy is granted as service connected. The claim for any other right lower extremity disability, to include right knee arthritis, is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, including as secondary to PTSD, is remanded. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of right and left knee disorders were denied as the evidence did not support entitlement to an earlier date than January 29, 2015.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disability did not have its onset during active service, was not caused by a disease or injury incurred in service, and arthritis did not manifest within one year after service discharge.,Similarly, the Board determined that the Veteran's low back disability did not have its onset during active service, was not caused by a disease or injury incurred in service, and arthritis did not manifest within one year after service discharge.,The Board also found that the Veteran's right knee disability did not have its onset during active service, was not caused by a disease or injury incurred in service, and arthritis did not manifest within one year after service discharge.,Regarding COPD, the Board concluded that it did not have its onset during active service and was not caused by a disease or injury incurred in service.,The Veteran's neuropathy of the right upper extremity (claimed as numbness of the right hand) and neuropathy of the left upper extremity (claimed as numbness of the left hand) were also found to have no onset during active service, be unrelated to any disease or injury incurred in service, and not manifest within one year after service discharge.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The case will be reviewed again with a new examination and consideration of the evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, back, left knee, and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to September 7, 2012 was granted. The issues of service connection for left knee disability (claimed as secondary to right knee disability), right wrist disability, and lumbar spine disability (claimed as secondary to right knee disability) were remanded.

A 30 percent rating is granted for the Veteran's post-TKR left knee disability, effective throughout.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of her left knee disability, which is secondary to a service-connected right knee disability, has been withdrawn by the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to address the Veteran's left knee disability prior to June 15, 2009. The remand requires consideration of additional loss of motion due to weakened movement, excess fatigability, diminished endurance, incoordination, and duration of flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left knee disability has been granted, with a separate rating of 10 percent for instability from September 30, 2009. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent based on limitation of motion remains denied.

The Veteran's right knee replacement has not resulted in severe painful motion or weakness, which would warrant a higher rating. The Veteran also did not have diminished hearing acuity at a compensable level.,There is no evidence of chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness for the right knee replacement, and there is no evidence of MTSS or shin splints for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for left knee quadricep muscle atrophy disorder and right carpal tunnel syndrome rating was granted, with the earliest possible effective dates being May 6, 2002.,Both conditions were found to have been present since service, but not recognized until the Veteran filed his claims in May 2002.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for subluxation of the left knee has been granted at a 10 percent level as of September 29, 2020. The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left knee continues to be rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claim for left knee chondromalacia due to new rating criteria and additional development of records.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development to address the severity of his service-connected left knee/femur disability, determine if a low back disorder is related to service or secondary to his left knee condition, and evaluate whether he qualifies for TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he is not unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.