Knee decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not establish a causal relationship between the Veteran's current right knee disability and his military service or to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left knee instability, limitation of flexion prior to February 7, 2013, and limitation of extension since February 7, 2013 have all been denied.

The Veteran's bilateral knee instability is rated at 30 percent effective February 12, 2014. The left and right knees are each rated at 10 percent for chondromalacia.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's ability to work prior to December 4, 2017. The matter is now referred for further development and consideration of an extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, and the Board denied all claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle due to a significant worsening since the last examination. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased rating of allergic rhinitis was denied. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a bilateral knee disability due to incomplete examinations.

The Board has found that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's knee disabilities, as they may be related to his service-connected back and hip conditions. The claims are therefore being remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left knee degenerative disease and residuals of meniscectomy with scars, right knee limitation of flexion, and right knee limitation of extension have been granted. The Veteran is now receiving the maximum available benefit for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including knee disabilities and a sleep disorder, are being remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition, finding that her current knee condition did not have its onset during active service and thus is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and left knee condition due to insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran is presumed to have suffered from these conditions since service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has remanded several issues including right knee, left eye ptosis, left foot disorder (to include pes planus), right foot disorder (to include pes planus), right ankle scar, and bilateral hearing loss. The right knee claim is also remanded for further development.

The Veteran's left knee impairment requiring multiple surgeries is being remanded for further review of new evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeals.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus type II was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show regulation of activities as part of medical management, thus denying a 40 percent evaluation.,For his right knee disability, the Veteran had an initial increase to 20 percent from June 17, 2014. However, he is now seeking higher evaluations for different periods and conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for a left ankle disorder, CTS of the upper extremities, and various hip and knee disorders. The Veteran is also seeking higher initial ratings for her lumbar spine and right hip disabilities.

The Board granted the Veteran's claim for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) in May 2012, and attorney fees based on past due benefits are now granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including DJD and a meniscal tear, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support an increase in rating beyond this level.