Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions have been rated based on painful motion, and the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition. The issues of service connection for left and right foot disabilities remain pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus and back condition are granted service connection, while his acid reflux, respiratory condition, knee conditions, shoulder conditions, and hemorrhoids remain denied.

The Veteran's bilateral knee replacements have been granted, and he is now receiving the appropriate ratings for his conditions. The Board has determined that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases of status post prostatectomy, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, heart disorder, and Parkinson's disease for further development.,Additional evidence or medical opinions may be needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disorders, finding that the conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active service and are unrelated to a service-connected condition.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for injuries sustained in an aviation accident during vocational training, finding that the Veteran did not have a service-connected disability at the time of the injury and thus was not eligible for chapter 31 benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left or right knee disorder, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.,Regarding headaches, the Board has also determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish whether the Veteran's headache symptoms are separate from her service-connected TMJ syndrome. The appeal as to this issue is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee disability due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, to include degenerative joint disease (DJD), due to inadequate review of his claims file and failure to schedule a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a headache disability, finding that the Veteran's persistent headaches since service are due to his in-service fall. The Board denied service connection for left knee and back disabilities.,Service connection was not established for left knee or back disabilities as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or chronic condition following service.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, finding that the Veteran's range of motion did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, and neck disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected and non-service-connected disabilities, including ratings for various conditions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain the Veteran’s SSA records and update VA treatment records before readjudicating these claims.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's heart palpitations/heart murmur and bilateral wrist disorder are granted service connection. Headaches, tooth/dental disorder, and bilateral knee disorder remain unresolved.,Service connection for bilateral wrist disorder is denied due to lack of in-service injury or disease. Service connection for headaches, tooth/dental disorder, and bilateral knee disorder remains pending.,The Veteran's headaches are remanded as the VA examination did not provide an opinion on their etiology. The service connection for tooth/dental disorder and bilateral knee disorder also need further evaluation.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including post-surgical conditions, is rated at 60 percent from April 1, 2018 to December 1, 2019. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise that his symptoms more closely approximate a 60 percent rating during this period.

The Board has found that there was no substantial compliance with the previous remand directives regarding the Veteran's right knee disability claim. As a result, another remand for further development is required.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,The VA examinations found no in-service injury or diagnosis related to the current disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee arthroscopy scar, associated with his service-connected left knee disability is granted from the effective date of February 12, 2010. The matter of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for left knee arthroscopy scar prior to January 22, 2020 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter remains on appeal.