Knee decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee conditions, including arthritis, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are currently rated based on limitation of motion, with no higher ratings granted.,A separate rating for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage has been granted.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms do not warrant such a higher rating based on limitation of motion and functional loss due to pain. The Board noted no instability or subluxation of the knee joint.

The Veteran's mood disorder with depressive features is granted as secondary to his service-connected right ankle sprain and post-surgical procedure residuals. The other issues are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and a left knee disability, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of entitlement to higher evaluations for service-connected knee disabilities are being addressed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's left knee condition. The Veteran needs to be examined by VA to determine if his current left knee disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss or permanent use of hands, vision impairment, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of knees or hips. Therefore, he is not eligible for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's initial rating for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees was denied, with a maximum 10 percent rating assigned.,Effective November 1, 2018, the Veteran received a 100 percent rating for his service-connected depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability, specifically whether it is related to service. The Veteran contends that his pain began in service and is due to cumulative wear and tear from in-service activities.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and granted a separate rating of 20 percent for right knee semilunar dislocated cartilage with frequent episodes of 'locking', pain, and effusion into the joint. The Veteran's other claims were not addressed due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee pain and a right shoulder condition have been denied.,His claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for his mood disorder has also been denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral shoulder conditions and bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses of osteoarthritis are not related to his military service.,Service connection was denied as there is no evidence showing a chronic condition during service or within one year post-service, and the medical opinions found no link between the current conditions and service.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and has remanded the remaining issues including increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and TDIU.

The Board has found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of his right hand disability, psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), low back disability, bilateral pes planus, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for varicose veins of the right leg and a separate rating for left knee instability. A new rating of 20 percent was assigned for a meniscal tear in the left knee since November 15, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's current knee conditions are not considered to be related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current condition is more likely related to obesity and age. The case was remanded for further development regarding entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to September 26, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The left knee condition was rated at 10%, while the right foot condition remained at 10%. The Veteran did not meet criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.