Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not currently severe enough to warrant a compensable disability rating.,Service connection for low back osteoarthritis and left knee arthritis are both denied as the evidence does not establish that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to military service.

The Veteran's right knee instability and lost flexion are each granted a 10% rating, effective January 2, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives and insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, left and right knee disabilities and migraines due to uncertainty regarding his periods of active duty. The VA will obtain all relevant service records and schedule a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims can be adjudicated, and the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment status, which is necessary to determine if her TDIU claim should be granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's right and left knee instability disorders are currently rated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings possible due to the presence of other service-connected disabilities.,Prior to September 4, 2015, the Veteran was not found unemployable based on her service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral pes planus, tonsil condition, and headaches are remanded due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The VA is directed to schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA examinations and because of new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now pending with the appropriate development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to engage and maintain substantially gainful employment, including in a sedentary environment.

The Veteran's initial and increased ratings for right elbow postoperative residuals are denied, as the evidence does not show more than pain without compensable motion loss. The separate rating for a postoperative scar is also denied. For his right knee retropatellar pain syndrome, no additional or higher ratings are granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right knee disability with scars and left knee disability, as well as his claim for TDIU due to his knee disabilities. Additional development is needed to properly adjudicate these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right knee condition, left knee condition, and lumbar spine condition due to new evidence received after the September 2019 rating decision. The Veteran's lumbar spine condition is now under consideration as it may be related to an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board denied service connection for left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome and lumbosacral strain, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability was received on August 23, 2019. The Board found no evidence of an ascertainable increase in the disability prior to this date and denied a request for an earlier effective date.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of November 2, 2017 for the awards of a separate disability rating of 10 percent for right knee chondromalacia, degenerative joint disease, and patellofemoral pain syndrome, an increased disability rating of 10 percent for left knee chondromalacia, degenerative joint disease, and patellofemoral pain syndrome, and an increased disability rating of 20 percent for right knee chondromalacia patella with instability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left and right knee conditions, finding that they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin disability are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that does not relate to these issues.,Service connection for respiratory disability is denied as there is no diagnosed respiratory condition.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the etiology of his claimed disabilities and whether they preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.