Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to lack of substantial compliance with its previous remand directives. The Veteran's right knee disability is being evaluated in terms of its impact on his ability to perform sedentary work.

Service connection is granted for acne rosacea, bilateral pes planus, and a bilateral foot disorder other than pes planus. The Veteran's left knee, right knee, right hip, back, and obstructive sleep apnea disorders are being remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran's atrial fibrillation is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability. The left knee disability issue is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left total knee replacements, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's knee issues are attributed to active service, while his hearing loss is presumed due to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for headaches, low back disability, right knee disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence showing a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and sleep apnea were denied. The claim for service connection for a right knee disorder (including arthritis) was denied. The claim for service connection for a left knee disorder (status post left knee replacement) was denied. Service connection for hypertension due to in-service herbicide exposure is remanded.

The Veteran wishes to withdraw his appeal for an increased rating of 30 percent or higher for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, which was previously adjudicated in a July 2020 Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left hip, right hip, left knee, and back. The decision affirms that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of discussion on whether the service-connected pes planus aggravated the left leg or knee condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prediabetes, allergic rhinitis, helicobacter pylori, hypertension, osteoarthritis, a back disability (secondary to bilateral foot disability), and right and left knee disabilities. The effective dates were not addressed as they are not relevant to the disposition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to determine if an estimate of the Veteran’s additional loss of motion on flare-up can be calculated, and to review all submitted evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee/leg and low back disabilities, as well as his headaches and sleep disturbance, may be related to service. The claims are being remanded for further examination and etiology opinions.

The Veteran's service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted. The rating for right ear hearing loss remains noncompensable. From September 1, 2015 and prior to May 17, 2019, a rating in excess of 30 percent for the right knee disability is denied. From May 17, 2019 until present, a rating in excess of 60 percent for the right knee disability is denied. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities and instability due to inadequate VA examination reports, lack of range of motion testing in accordance with Correia v. McDonald (2016), and failure to provide an explanation for not conducting such testing.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective December 15, 2011. The right knee disability has been granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for diabetes mellitus is granted, and the claims for service connection for varicose veins, viral meningitis, right knee disability, bilateral flatfeet, shin splints (to include as due to bilateral flatfeet), and an acquired psychiatric disorder are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disability and sleep apnea or other sleep/respiratory impairment due to undiagnosed illness or Gulf War Illness. The claims are being returned for additional development, including examinations addressing these issues.

Your appeal has been dismissed as the issue of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability was granted in full.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent for limitation of flexion and instability, with a separate rating for instability of the left knee. The Board denied higher ratings based on the evidence showing that the Veteran’s range of motion is not limited to less than 30 degrees.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right knee arthritis, left knee and ankle arthritis, and hip injury are rated at 20 percent for the entire rating period.