Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining private medical records and resolving issues related to increased ratings and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities due to insufficient examination results. The claims will be reviewed again with new examinations.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hemorrhoids and residuals of tonsillitis have been denied.,The claim for service connection for a left knee disability has been denied.

The Veteran's right knee limitation of motion has been manifested with flexion limited to at most 80 degrees and extension to 10 degrees during a flare-up. For the period prior to September 27, 2019, the Veteran’s right knee instability was not shown to be more than slight in degree.,For the period from September 27, 2019, the Veteran's service-connected right knee instability is not shown to be more than moderate in degree.

A rating of 40 percent for a right knee disability is granted from January 9, 2012 to December 27, 2012.,The Veteran's inability to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities is also granted.

The Veteran's right knee post-traumatic arthritis was evaluated at a 10 percent rating prior to May 14, 2019. The Veteran now has a 100 percent evaluation for his service-connected right knee post-traumatic arthritis due to total knee replacement.,The Veteran’s left knee post-traumatic arthritis is currently rated at a 30 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of left knee patellofemoral syndrome and increased rating for PTSD was granted. The effective date for the increased PTSD rating is set at August 13, 2015.

The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted, and his left knee disability rating has been remanded due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's request for a higher rating for her left knee disability and service connection for a right knee disability, as well as TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the veteran's claims, including evaluations for various conditions and service connection requests.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and because of the need to consider service connection on a secondary basis.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination reports from April and December 2008, which did not provide specific measurements of range-of-motion under weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing conditions. The Veteran's left knee traumatic arthritis is being reviewed again for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is denied as not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a lack of medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The issues include low back condition, bilateral knee conditions, sleep apnea, sinusitis, and deviated septum disability.

The Board denied service connection for GERD, bilateral knee disability, and right foot heel disability as these conditions are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to the Veteran's active duty military service.,Service connection was also denied for fibromyalgia, tingling and numbness of the upper extremities, UTIs, and pharyngitis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back, right knee, and left knee disabilities are not related to his active service.,However, the Veteran's respiratory disability is considered at least in equipoise with service connection due to exposure to asbestos during service.

The Board has granted separate 10 percent ratings for lost left and right knee extension under Diagnostic Code 5261, but denied increased ratings for lost left and right knee flexion. The TDIU claim is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg neurological condition (piriformis syndrome) and a right knee disability (patellofemoral syndrome) have been denied. The claim for an increased rating for the service-connected right hip strain has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examinations in February 2019. The Veteran is being asked to provide private treatment records related to his knee and skin disorders, and he will be afforded new VA examinations.