Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, as well as a right shoulder disorder due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with mild to moderate osteoarthritis and degenerative spondylosis of the lumbar spine, associated with right hip impairment post stress fracture femoral neck, is not rated higher than 20 percent. The radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is granted at a 10 percent rating prior to April 29, 2015 and denied thereafter.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and right elbow disability. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee disorders, low back disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder to include an adjustment disorder with anxious and depressed mood. The claim for Dupuytren contracture of the right hand is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and therefore his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and he has been granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids from March 19, 2015 to April 16, 2018 is denied. Service connection for a right foot disorder is granted. The claims of service connection for left knee disorder, low back disorder, sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and hypertension are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, left knee chondromalacia, and spondylosis of the lumbar spine have been denied. The evidence does not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 11, 2016. Therefore, an earlier effective date for the TDIU is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition due to the lack of evidence of a current disability and no link between his in-service right knee treatment and any present left knee issue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury is granted. The claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis is denied. The claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right shoulder disability, right knee disability, and lumbar spine disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA examination to evaluate the current level of severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, including range of motion testing and consideration of pain during use.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to conflicting medical evidence regarding the Veteran's knee instability and its relationship to his service-connected knee disabilities. The case is being remanded for a VA examiner to provide clarifying opinions on these issues.

The Veteran was unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various lower extremity conditions, including the left leg below the knee amputation and its associated scars. The effective dates for these grants of service connection are not yet determined.

The Veteran is granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee as it is a chronic disability that has continuously manifested since separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of bilateral plantar fasciitis due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee condition and denied entitlement to TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone not rendering him unemployable.

The Veteran's right knee was granted a 30 percent rating effective June 14, 2018. The left knee received a 40 percent rating effective the same date. Separate ratings of 20 percent were granted for symptomatic meniscus in both knees since April 21, 2012.