Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee laxity and DJD with semilunar cartilage disability are granted at a 20 percent rating. The Veteran's limited extension is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee condition, finding insufficient evidence to establish either a current disability or that any such disability is secondary to his service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board has remanded the case for an updated VA examination to determine if range of motion testing was conducted in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing conditions. The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has found that an increased rating of 60 percent is warranted effective December 10, 2019 for the Veteran's right knee disorder, status-post total knee replacement. The case is being remanded to obtain a retrospective opinion regarding the functional effects of flare-ups prior to December 10, 2019.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been granted a disability rating of 20 percent each, effective from the dates specified. The decision also resolved doubt in favor of the Veteran for these ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed left knee, right knee, left ankle, right ankle, low back, and lung disorders are not related to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for back, neck, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral elbow disability, right ankle disability, and bilateral shoulder disability. The Veteran's claims for these conditions were not supported by evidence showing they occurred during his period of active service.,Service connection was also denied for a neck disability and bilateral knee disabilities (including residuals of left and right meniscal tears). These claims were based on the absence of medical documentation linking current disabilities to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to satisfy its duty to assist, specifically in obtaining an adequate medical examination and opinion. The Veteran's right knee disability is now subject to further review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to care for some daily personal needs and protect himself from the hazards of his daily environment without the assistance of others, warranting SMC based on the need for A&A.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee conditions and left foot condition due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran needs to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature, etiology, and severity of his conditions.

The Board has found that additional development is needed to properly assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected knee symptomatology and to determine if his diagnosed bilateral knee joint osteoarthritis and/or right knee meniscus tear were caused or aggravated by his service-connected patellofemoral syndrome. The claims for increased evaluations and the claim of entitlement to a TDIU are inextricably intertwined, so they must be remanded for contemporaneous adjudication.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased rating of right knee strain, neck disability, left upper extremity disability, and headaches due to conflicting evidence or need for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities (including depressive disorder, lumbosacral strain, bilateral knee replacements, right shoulder arthritis, and radiculopathy of all four extremities) contributed to his obesity, which in turn caused his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee instability and osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical documentation of ranges of motion in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing, active and passive.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during ACDUTRA service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis is rated at 60% and her hysterectomy is rated at 30%. Both conditions are granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further proceedings regarding his left knee arthritis and instability claims. The Board found that the Veteran should receive a disability rating of 20 percent for left knee instability prior to February 7, 2021, and a maximum 30 percent rating from that date onwards.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability is denied as not secondary to his right knee disability or related to an in-service injury.,For the periods prior to February 23, 2015, from April 1, 2015 to October 5, 2015, and from December 1, 2015 to July 18, 2018, a rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability is denied due to painful motion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during active service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology. The appellant's statements regarding symptoms since service are found to be less credible due to their inconsistency with service records.