Knee Board decisions

The RO restored the 20 percent evaluation for left knee injury with instability effective September 11, 2012.,The RO denied entitlement to increased rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee instability prior to May 8, 2018.,The RO granted a noncompensable evaluation for left knee osteoarthritis with limitation of extension effective May 8, 2018.,The RO denied entitlement to increased rating in excess of 30 percent for left total knee arthroplasty on and after July 1, 2019.,The RO granted an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes of the right knee with limitation of flexion prior to September 11, 2012.,The RO denied entitlement to increased rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes of the right knee with instability prior to September 11, 2012.,The RO granted an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for degenerative changes of the right knee on and after September 11, 2012.,The RO denied entitlement to increased rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes of the right knee with instability on and after September 11, 2012.,The RO granted a noncompensable evaluation for right knee degenerative changes with limitation of extension effective September 11, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or aggravation and noting that Osgood-Schlatter’s disease pre-existed service. The Board also found no aggravation during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's COPD was incurred in service or is otherwise attributable to his active service.,The Board remanded the claims for right and left knee conditions, bilateral foot conditions, and low back condition due to insufficient development of the record.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues of right knee disorder, nasal fracture residuals, and headache disorder are being reviewed.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for her left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for another VA examination.

The Board has granted the reopening of service connection for right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders based on new evidence that supports a link to service.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for the aggravation of flat feet. The right knee disability claim is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 50% from June 11, 2019 onwards. The Board denied a higher rating for the period prior to that date.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined rating of 58 percent, which is less than the required 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for depressive disorder and left knee scar were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 50 percent for the depressive disorder prior to December 19, 2019 or a rating in excess of 70 percent since then. For the left knee scar, no compensable rating was assigned as the scars were not painful or unstable and did not affect an area greater than 39 square centimeters.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for left knee instability from September 12, 2016 and denied an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee osteoarthritis.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, arthritis (degenerative joint disease (DJD)), finding that there is at least equipoise evidence to support this determination.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was rated at 20 percent prior to January 12, 2017 and increased to 40 percent from January 12, 2017 to November 1, 2018.,From November 1, 2018 onwards, the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, colon cancer, COPD, heart disability, sleep apnea, peptic ulcer, hydrocele, type II diabetes mellitus, urothelial cancer (claimed as bladder cancer), cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The cause of death claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for the entire appellate period.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's asthma, right lower leg condition, bilateral hip condition, right thigh condition, and right knee condition should be remanded for further action due to incomplete service records.

The Board has remanded the issue of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to June 29, 2020, for further development and readjudication.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to new evidence and outstanding records. The claims for right ankle, left ankle, right knee, left knee, lumbar spine, weakness and lack of coordination of legs, radiculopathy of lower extremity, PTSD with dissociative symptoms and derealization, allergic rhinitis, headache disability, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic sinusitis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, respiratory disability, cervical spine disability, tremors of hands, and costochondritis are being remanded for further development.