Knee Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for his right and left knee conditions due to inadequate examination reports, lack of retrospective opinions, and missing medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's left knee disabilities. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered after this development is completed.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of neck injury. The issues of rating in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome, as well as a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 40 percent, and a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran does not meet the auditory threshold criteria for right ear hearing loss for service connection purposes.,There is no evidence of chronic bronchitis during or within one year after service. Service connection for bronchitis is denied.,No in-service knee, shoulder, or back disability was found. Service connection for these disabilities is denied.,The Veteran's fibromyalgia is already service connected and does not preclude the granting of separate ratings for other joint conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient initial adjudication of certain issues and for an addendum opinion on his TBI residuals.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted starting from December 4, 2019, due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee conditions due to incomplete records and inadequate examination reports. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant treatment records, including those from physical therapy sessions, and schedule a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's knee conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected osteoarthritis of the right knee and service connection for hallux valgus, right great toe is being remanded due to outstanding private treatment records and a change in VA rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim for further development due to incomplete employment history and functional limitations of service-connected right knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee meniscal tear, finding that the condition likely occurred during the Appellant's period of active duty training in July 2009. Service connection was denied for a back disability due to lack of evidence linking it to any period of active duty or ACDUTRA.

The Veteran's right knee limited extension is currently rated as 40 percent disabling, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's left knee limited extension is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected knee conditions render him unemployable, and thus grants an extraschedular total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating between January 1, 2009 through March 7, 2018. The preponderance of the evidence is against his claim.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis and denied service connection for bilateral ankle disability.

Your appeals for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the right knee and right knee instability have been dismissed as you withdrew your claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and left knee disorders due to inadequate medical opinions based on a lack of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various conditions, including major depressive disorder with anxiety, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis of the right lower extremity, status post arthroscopic debridement chondromalacia patella right knee with residual degenerative joint disease, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome are being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including clarification of his military service and a VA opinion addressing the relationship between his back disorder and his right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, bilateral knee disabilities, tinnitus, and hearing loss, collectively rated at 70 percent or more, render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is granted service connection as it is secondary to his service-connected right foot/ankle disorder. The neck disorder claim is denied due to lack of evidence showing a direct or secondary relationship with service. The bilateral knee disorders are remanded for further clarification.