Knee Board decisions

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, but denied housebound status and TBI-based SMC.

The Board has found the records incomplete and remanded for several reasons, including obtaining updated private treatment records from the Veteran's ENT provider and VA treatment records. Additionally, a new examination is required to assess the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability due to inadequate previous examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in the development of his claim for service connection for left knee tendinitis.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, as his symptoms and limitations were manageable with current treatment.

The appeal for increased ratings and effective dates for left and right knee disabilities, as well as the inferred claim of TDIU based on these issues, is dismissed as a matter of law.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing left knee disability was aggravated by service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee condition to include pain, arthrosis, and osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of left knee joint osteoarthritis and credible lay statements supporting continuity of symptomatology from in-service until diagnosis.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is granted a 100 percent rating. The ratings for left and right knee tendonitis, as well as the left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain and right ankle sprain, are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain a direct service connection opinion for the Veteran's left knee disability. The claim will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's left knee patellar bursitis/tendinitis with degenerative joint disease, limitation of flexion, is not more than 60 degrees in flexion and thus does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran was granted a 30 percent disability rating for this condition.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's right knee disability is also currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's right knee disability alone rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 29, 2014. Effective April 2, 2015, the Veteran meets the criteria for SMC(s) due to his service-connected right knee disability and additional service-connected disabilities that combine to at least a 60 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, hypertension, hemorrhoids, residuals of a fracture of the left wrist, iliotibial strain of the right knee with degenerative joint disease, Graves' disease and irritable bowel syndrome and gastroenteritis have been granted increased ratings. TDIU, SMC based on housebound criteria, and basic eligibility for DEA have also been granted effective as of May 23, 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to his current condition.

The Board has found that further medical development is needed to determine the severity of functional loss throughout the appeal period, including any associated instability and ROM loss during pain, weakness, and flare-ups. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons or bases in support of its decision, specifically regarding the adequacy of a July 2021 VA medical opinion and the need for an examination considering April and May 2014 private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to failure to attend VA examinations and other issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee and shoulder disabilities, as well as a lumbar spine and cervical spine disability. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss, left ankle sprain, and left knee condition due to procedural issues and need for additional medical opinions.