Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's right knee DJD has been rated at 10 percent since January 31, 2009. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee DJD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and an esophageal disability (GERD) as there was no evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, as well as semilunar cartilage damage in both knees, have not been rated higher than 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee chondromalacia patella and right ankle closed fracture with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or impairment, as there was no objective evidence of limitation of motion.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to active service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete records, specifically Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits records. The Veteran is seeking increased evaluations for his left knee disabilities and a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on several conditions have been dismissed. The claims of reopening a psychiatric disorder and hypertension have been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection for a left knee disability, which is secondary to a service-connected right knee disability. The Veteran's knee issues were noted during active duty and in subsequent treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to September 28, 2010 and in excess of 30 percent from September 28, 2010 to December 8, 2015.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, effective February 6, 2013. The Board denied an increased rating for the right ankle disability and also denied entitlement to a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is granted as service-connected.,From October 31, 2011 to July 2, 2018, the Veteran received a 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis. From July 2, 2018 onwards, he was granted a 50 percent rating.,The Veteran's request for an increased rating beyond 50 percent for bilateral pes planus from January 2, 2020 is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar strain, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination of his left knee. The issues include arthritis of the left knee based on instability, limitation of motion, and TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right knee disability, left lower extremity sciatica, and right lower extremity sciatica as secondary to a left knee disability. Service connection was granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression).,Service connection was denied for all claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for back disability and bilateral knee disability due to conflicting evidence and lack of a clear nexus.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings were denied. However, the Board granted a 30 percent rating for left shoulder dislocation beginning October 10, 2018.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are rated based on painful noncompensable limitation of motion, with no evidence of flexion or extension limitations in excess of the criteria for a 10 percent rating. The Board has denied higher ratings as there is no compensable limitation of motion.,Similar to the left knee disability, the Veteran's right knee disability is rated based on painful noncompensable limitation of motion with no evidence of flexion or extension limitations in excess of the criteria for a 10 percent rating. The Board has denied higher ratings as there is no compensable limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and examination to determine if service connection can be established for left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities. The Veteran's PTSD is also being evaluated further.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right knee and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability as secondary to her service-connected multiple sclerosis (MS).