Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a left knee disorder due to conflicting opinions and need for further examination. The Veteran's assertions include in-service injuries, including a fall while skiing that resulted in multiple soldiers extracting him from a hole and transferring him by ambulance.

The Veteran's right knee injury is denied as there is no evidence of a service connection. The Veteran's PTSD is granted with an initial evaluation of 30% effective January 10, 2013.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been granted a 10 percent rating, effective from October 26, 2017. The disability ratings for the knees are maintained at this level.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 1, 2012.

The Veteran's hypertension, cervical spine disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and upper extremity radiculopathy are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current functional impairment.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to March 1, 2016 for right knee loss of flexion is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 29, 2015 for right knee instability is granted. The RO also granted service connection for status post right knee replacement effective July 26, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ankle, low back, and left knee disorders secondary to a right ankle sprain due to potential causation or aggravation by altered biomechanics. The Veteran's current diagnoses include osteophytic spurring of the left ankle, lumbar degenerative joint disease/degenerative disc disease, and chondromalacia patella syndrome with degenerative joint disease and left knee sprain.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation from service.,The Veteran's current diagnoses were not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability, including patellofemoral syndrome, osteoarthritis, subluxation and instability, is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury. As a result, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not meet the schedular criteria and that there is no evidence of an exceptional or unusual disability picture. The Board concluded that the Veteran's service-connected conditions do not interfere with his ability to obtain and maintain gainful sedentary employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cataracts was denied in May 2014. The Board has now remanded the cases for further examination and rating determinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that they are the natural progression of pre-existing injuries that existed prior to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right knee replacement was dismissed as the Veteran and his representative withdrew their appeal.

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

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence and needs further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability may be related to service, and a new examination is needed to determine if it did begin during active service or is otherwise related to an incident of service.

The Veteran's claim for a separate compensable rating for the residuals of her left knee meniscal injury prior to April 30, 2015 is granted.,The Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome are remanded due to inadequate VA examination findings regarding functional loss with repetitive use over time.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate development, including a VA examination that did not consider all relevant evidence and opinions.