Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's left knee instability is consistent with moderate instability, warranting a 20 percent rating. The issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee arthritis from September 24, 2021 remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee and right ankle disabilities precluded him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background, granting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal disorders and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee arthritis from November 25, 2013 to January 6, 2021 is remanded due to the need for a retrospective opinion that addresses the severity of the Veteran's condition consistent with the Court's holding in Ingram.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the Veteran's right-knee condition based on limited flexion to 15 degrees.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection for various disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for a separate 30 percent rating for right knee meniscal tear, status post arthroscopy with chondromalacia patella and limited extension due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining relevant records from Holmes Lake Family Medicine.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee degenerative joint disease, finding that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar disability.

The Board remands the case to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining private treatment and Social Security Administration records.

The Board remands the claim for a left knee disorder to obtain an addendum opinion addressing its etiology, including whether it is related to in-service activities or caused by the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of service connection for sleep apnea and granted increased ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the lower extremities. However, it denied earlier effective dates for other conditions and increased ratings for atrial fibrillation.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis. The left knee and gastrointestinal (stomach) disabilities were remanded for further evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded several other claims.

The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to address deficiencies in the July 2020 VA examination report and to consider the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's knee disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for left hip degenerative arthritis, right hip degenerative arthritis, and tinnitus. It also granted a TDIU from September 24, 2021, and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) from that date.

The Board granted an effective date of November 8, 2020, for the award of service connection for various disabilities including cervical spine stenosis, degenerative arthritis, IVDS status post fusion surgery with residuals, right and left shoulder strains and degenerative arthritis status post joint replacement with residuals, right and left knee strains and degenerative arthritis status post joint replacement with residuals, left hip degenerative arthritis, limitation of extension of the right thigh, limitation of abduction of the right thigh, limitation of extension of the left thigh, and limitation of abduction of the left thigh.

The Board granted a 20 percent evaluation for left knee instability, left knee meniscal tear, right knee meniscal tear, and right knee scars throughout the appeal period. Additionally, it granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities beginning May 11, 2024.

The Board granted service connection for low back pain, a left knee condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder.

The Board denied service connection for right knee joint osteoarthritis and chondromalacia, finding no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within the applicable presumptive period. The claim was also denied based on a lack of medical nexus between the current disability and an in-service injury.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been rated as totally disabling, effective December 20, 2021, and a TDIU is granted based on this disability alone.