Knee Board decisions

The Veteran has withdrawn all appeals related to the issues of service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, gout, hypertension, nephrolithiasis and stage IV kidney failure, left knee replacement and pain disability, right knee pain disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy (hand numbness), left lower extremity neuropathy and radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy (hand numbness), right lower extremity neuropathy and radiculopathy, lumbar back pain and degenerative joint disease (DJD), and atrial fibrillation and coronary calcifications, status-post ablation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to consider the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and obtain necessary medical records. The claim will be reconsidered under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1728.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various hip and knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board denied service connection for various shoulder, knee, ankle, and plantar fasciitis disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing current diagnoses or functional impairment.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability and a thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran is rendered unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected knee and lumbar spine disabilities from October 2, 2015 to December 1, 2015, June 20, 2016 to September 1, 2016, July 19, 2017 to September 1, 2018, and April 10, 2019 to June 1, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further development, including obtaining an addendum VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disability was aggravated during service.

The appeals for service connection of various disabilities have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn his appeal. The issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new evidence received after the last supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, low back disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, skin condition (Hidradenitis), sleep apnea, and restrictive airway disease are all found to be related to his military service.,Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee status post total knee arthroplasty is rated at 60 percent for the period from March 1, 2015. The Veteran also received a grant of TDIU for this same time frame.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee recurrent patellar instability are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess current severity.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis prior to September 24, 2021 is not rated higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's right TKR prior to June 19, 2018 is not rated higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's right TKR from August 1, 2019 to August 3, 2023 meets the criteria for a maximum 60 percent rating.,The Veteran's right hip arthritis with limitation of flexion prior to September 24, 2021 is not rated higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's right hip arthritis with limitation of flexion from September 24, 2021 onward does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and further development is needed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his cervical strain and left knee disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim, have been denied due to the Veteran's failure to report for necessary VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for Diabetes Mellitus Type II and Right Knee Condition due to new evidence received that is relevant to these issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of right and left knee arthroplasty, finding that the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection to various disabilities have been reopened due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The effective dates are not yet determined as they will be based on the PACT Act, which does not allow earlier effective dates.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee condition and headaches due to lack of evidence supporting a direct relationship between his current conditions and military service. The appeal seeking service connection for headaches was dismissed as untimely.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee conditions due to a duty to assist error. A new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his knee conditions.