Knee Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the case.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.,A separate 10 percent disability rating for patellar instability of the right knee has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee and foot disabilities are being remanded due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining the Veteran's VA treatment records and failing to provide a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations for bipolar II disorder with rapid cycling and tinnitus have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of four issues related to knee and foot conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Major Depressive Disorder, Right Knee Total Replacement, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine, and others, prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran seeks service connection for right ankle, shin, knee, and femur disabilities. The appeal is currently remanded to determine the nature of these disabilities.,Service records show stress fractures in the tibia, femurs, and ankles during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee instability and remanded the cases of a higher rating for right knee condition and service connection for left knee condition as secondary to right knee condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder due to inadequate opinions in the May 2022 VA examinations. The Veteran is requested to provide new VA examinations that capture any functional loss associated with pain and address whether her conditions are caused or aggravated by service-connected bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spondylosis with degenerative disc disease, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to service connection. The AOJ is required to obtain a medical opinion regarding direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral foot, left knee, and right knee conditions due to a lack of evidence showing in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions. The VA examiner found no nexus between the current disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders due to a lack of an adequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current knee conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss or use of his lower extremities, which affects balance and propulsion as to preclude locomotion without assistive devices. Therefore, he is ineligible for specially adapted housing and a special home adaptation grant.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, PTSD, right foot disability, left foot disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and low back disability. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, thus the TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 21, 2017, for a 10 percent rating for a painful scar on her right knee is granted.,The Veteran's request for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for the painful scar associated with her total knee replacement surgery is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 9, 2007, for TDIU and DEA benefits is granted.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted with an effective date of February 1, 2006.,The earlier effective dates for both the TDIU and DEA were determined based on the Veteran meeting the schedular criteria for a TDIU as of that date.

The Board has denied service connection for an eating disorder, a head condition, and left knee joint osteoarthritis. The Veteran's current conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error in not addressing a secondary service connection claim for left knee disability, which was raised prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Veteran's lay statements indicate that his service-connected disabilities caused him to walk unevenly and shift his weight from side to side when standing, exacerbating his knee symptoms.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and medical opinion provided are inadequate for adjudicative purposes. The Veteran's left knee condition is remanded to obtain a new, adequate VA examination and medical opinion regarding its etiology.