Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right knee osteoarthritis were denied, but she was granted a 10 percent rating for her right and left knee instability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion and a need for further examination. The Veteran's right knee condition is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's initial rating for a left knee disability has been denied as the evidence does not show moderate impairment, and his scars have not met criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted from April 19, 2016 due to his service-connected disabilities. The decision also noted that the grant of TDIU did not affect the effective date of special monthly compensation (SMC).

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to inadequate examination findings. A new VA examination is required.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee retropatellar pain syndrome were denied as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for (DDD) of the lumbar spine is denied.,Service connection is granted for patellofemoral syndrome, right knee, claimed as chondromalacia and degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating for the right knee disability before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of left knee degenerative joint disease and service connection for a lumbar spine disability were denied. The decision found that the Veteran's left knee condition did not warrant an increase beyond 10 percent, while his lumbar spine disability was not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, tinea pedis, and right knee disability is denied as the conditions are not etiologically related to his period of active duty from February 1950 to April 1957.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, low back disability, left knee disability, and PTSD have been granted. The effective date for the increased ratings is not specified as it was determined that an earlier effective date would be inappropriate.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor, affecting 20 to 40 percent of exposed body area, is granted a 30 percent initial rating from August 1, 2012. Other service connection claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle, back, hip, and knee conditions due to incomplete medical opinions and lack of an examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of his left knee, lumbar spine, and right knee conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The cases are being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral foot and knee disabilities, lower extremity radiculopathy, and a lower back disability, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience since May 22, 2018.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities (left and right meniscal tears with shin splints) are currently rated at 10% each, but the Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied. The claims for left ankle degenerative arthritis, left foot degenerative arthritis, left hand degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis (bilateral), right knee degenerative arthritis (bilateral), left wrist degenerative arthritis, and right wrist degenerative arthritis are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has reinstated service connection for PTSD and granted entitlement to a TDIU based on the Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities preventing her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 9, 2016 for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no indication of a prior claim. The effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been assigned based on the date of the initial claim.,An earlier effective date of March 9, 2015 was granted for left leg amputation below the knee and SMC based on anatomical loss of the left lower extremity below the knee as the Veteran's claims encompassed these conditions at the time he filed his April 2016 claim.,An earlier effective date of March 9, 2015 was granted for right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease and left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease based on liberalizing legislation regarding herbicide agent exposure. The earliest effective date is one year prior to the receipt of his intent to file.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 30, 2016 for service connection for left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease was denied as there is no indication that this condition existed at the time he filed his April 2016 claim.