Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded several issues related to the appellant's service connection claims due to insufficient evidence. The initial rating for tinnitus remains denied, and the left elbow contusion is rated as noncompensable. Right wrist sprain also remains denied. Service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, left knee tendonitis, and lumbosacral strain are remanded.

The Veteran's left knee brace caused wear or tear to her outer clothing at an increased rate in 2020, and the Board granted a clothing allowance for this reason.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left knee condition and denied service connection for this condition. The anxiety disorder evaluation is remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been remanded due to the need for further examination or evidence in several cases. The left knee strain claim remains denied, as does all other individual conditions except for those related to service connection.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for her service-connected bilateral knee and right foot disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional examination of her disabilities, including an assessment of flare-ups.

The Board denied service connection for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Left Knee Disorder, Left Shoulder Disorder, Right Shoulder Disorder, and Hypertension as there is no credible evidence of a current disability or link to active duty service.,There was insufficient medical evidence to support the Veteran's claims regarding these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic left foot strain and pain, left knee strain, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5257, 5010-5260, or 5257.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tension headaches, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding causation and secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability, finding that his pre-existing condition was not aggravated by military service beyond its natural progression.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because she does not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU based on a single service-connected disability, as her right hip disability alone does not qualify. The Board found that multiple of her service-connected disabilities contribute to her difficulty in maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for sinus disorder, bronchitis, and asthma. Service connection is also granted for right knee and left knee disorders.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of October 27, 2009 for the award of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). The decision is based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities causing impairment that has been inconsistent with obtaining substantially gainful employment throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings, with the left knee receiving a 20 percent rating and the right knee receiving a 50 percent rating effective June 23, 2024.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to July 26, 2018 is being remanded due to insufficient evidence meeting the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) and because there is reasonable possibility that he was unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including evaluations for various disabilities and service connection claims.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings in excess of 20 percent for traumatic arthritis of the left elbow, left elbow osteoarthritis, and a right knee disability with limitation of flexion. The Veteran's appeal for an increased compensable rating for right knee instability is remanded. Appeals for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy and right lower extremity sciatic neuropathy are also remanded. The TDIU claim is deferred pending adjudication of the above-mentioned issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and potential new evidence, as well as the need for a TERA examination.

The Board has granted entitlement to a disability rating of 10 percent prior to April 5, 2012, for right knee instability and entitlement to a disability rating of 10 percent prior to September 30, 2011, for left knee instability.,However, the issues regarding ratings in excess of 10 percent for traumatic degenerative joint disease, right knee, prior to April 5, 2012, and for traumatic degenerative joint disease, left knee, prior to September 30, 2011, are being remanded due to insufficient VA opinions.

The Veteran's knee disabilities require regular assistance in accomplishing routine activities of daily living, leading to the grant of SMC at the aid and attendance rate. The issue of entitlement to SMC based on housebound status is moot.