Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a right knee disability and has also granted entitlement to service connection for aggravation of a right knee disability due to his service-connected left knee disability. The decision is based on new evidence provided by the Veteran, including VA and private medical opinions that support an etiological nexus between the Veteran's right knee disability and his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 40 percent for the period from July 3, 2013 to July 2, 2020. The left knee osteoarthritis is rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of left and right knee disabilities prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for the service-connected right and left knee disabilities due to inadequate examinations in previous decisions.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 20 percent for limitation of extension, 10 percent for limitation of flexion, 30 percent for instability, and 20 percent for frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion. The combined rating results in a total of 60 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases for compliance with previous directives, including obtaining VA and SSA records. Addendum opinions are needed to determine the nature and etiology of current cervical spine, lumbar spine, left foot, and left knee disabilities. A psychiatric examination is also required to assess PTSD severity.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disability, left knee and leg disability, and hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,There is no direct evidence showing that the Veteran's current disabilities were incurred during his military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's cervical spine, right hip, left hip and left knee disabilities for additional development. The Veteran is also entitled to a rating in excess of 20 percent for his left hip disability (limitation of abduction) from November 26, 2019.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right knee disability should be remanded for a new VA examination to assess current symptoms and severity.

The Veteran's right and left knee osteoarthritis are rated at 10 percent each, but a separate 20 percent rating is granted for limited extension of the knees effective November 6, 2018. The Veteran also receives a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left leg disorders, as well as right and left knee and ankle disorders due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board dismissed all claims for increased ratings as the Veteran withdrew his appeals prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right trochanter bursitis and right knee disability are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. Additional medical opinions are needed regarding the functional loss during flare-ups, repetitive use, and range of motion.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral wrist, knee, fingers, and neck disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome as of November 2, 2016. The effective date is not specified.,A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability from the same date is also granted.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including back disability, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, pulmonary disability (including asthma and/or COPD), bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims were remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to lack of recent medical examinations, as well as for obtaining additional records.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of evidence showing limitation of motion or other disabling conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to inconsistencies in the July 2017 VA examination report and because of the need for a new examination addressing additional functional loss during flare-ups. The TDIU issue is also being remanded.