Knee Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the claims for left and right knee disabilities due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has identified pre-decisional duty to assist errors and has remanded the claims for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing new examinations.

The Board granted service connection for right knee disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Morton's Neuroma of the right foot.

The Board has denied service connection for lung condition, kidney condition, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction (ED), left knee condition, right knee condition, and hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee disability is remanded due to the failure to attend a scheduled VA examination. The Board will attempt to schedule another VA examination to assess the severity of his condition.

The Veteran's reduction in the evaluation for dermatitis from 10 percent to a noncompensable rating was not proper, and his 10 percent rating is reinstated. The Board has also remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left knee arthritis.

The appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for the Veteran's left knee disability was improperly docketed and must be dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment as of February 18, 2019.

The Board has denied service connection for a right foot condition and remanded the left knee condition claim due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 2, 2019, and from February 1, 2021, is denied as he did not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim for sleep apnea is denied. The claims for left and right knee conditions are remanded.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal, resulting in dismissal of all service connection claims for various knee and radiculopathy conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, right hip arthritis, and right knee arthritis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since March 16, 2021. His TDIU is granted with an effective date of March 16, 2021.

The Veteran's reduced ratings for left knee degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion), left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) have been reinstated.,The Veteran's reduced ratings for left knee degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion), left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) have been reinstated.,The Veteran's reduced ratings for left knee degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion), left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) have been reinstated.,The Veteran's reduced ratings for left knee degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion), left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) have been reinstated.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's effective date for the grant of service connection for left knee instability should be earlier than June 12, 2020. However, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, the Board has also remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's left knee disability ratings.

The Board denied service connection for right knee septic arthritis, seizures, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus as the evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service. The left knee condition was remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board remands the claims for a medical examination to address the Veteran's reports of flare-ups and ensure an adequate assessment of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow any substantially gainful occupation, thus a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.