Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disability and instability have been denied. The criteria to establish entitlement to the requested evaluations are not met.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis and status post total knee replacement, which were a progression of the Veteran's in-service arthrotomy for Osgood-Schlatter's disease. The issue of an increased rating for the left knee disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for GERD, a headache disorder, sinusitis, a right knee disability, and a right ankle disability have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. Service connection is granted for GERD.,Service connection is also granted for a headache disorder. The Board found that there was equipoise in the evidence regarding whether the Veteran had a headache disorder during service and still has one today.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral total knee arthroplasties as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected stress fractures of the tibia and pes planus.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, left hip osteoarthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee degenerative arthritis due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for right achilles tendon tear, left knee disorder, left hip disorder, and right hip disorder. The issues have been remanded.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's right knee instability, but remanded to obtain updated treatment records and an examination to determine the current severity of his disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's knee disabilities, including an increased rating for left knee arthralgia, a higher initial rating for right knee strain, and a compensable initial rating for left knee patella anesthesia. The effective date of service connection for left knee patella anesthesia is also being remanded. Additionally, the issue of TDIU prior to September 14, 2010, which is related to these claims, is also being remanded.

The Board has denied a higher rating for the Veteran's right shoulder disability and remanded the claim of a higher rating for his right knee meniscus tear due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, left shoulder, and left ankle disabilities as new and material evidence was not received to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient consideration of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection awards of right knee instability and right knee osteoarthritis, meniscal tear, meniscectomy, mild internal derangement, patellar spur, anterior cruciate ligament tear, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and strain. The effective date was fixed at March 17, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher initial ratings for cervical spine strain and left knee strain due to inadequate VA examination reports in determining functional impairment during flare-ups.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service connected, effective from the date of separation.,An earlier effective date for the hypertension rating is denied. The current 10% rating remains valid since it was requested and no higher blood pressure readings are present.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and individual unemployability was denied. For the PTSD, a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to September 30, 2019 and in excess of 70 percent effective September 30, 2019 is not warranted based on his symptoms. For IU, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided that the right knee chondromalacia patella with degenerative arthritis requires a rating in excess of 10 percent, but has also noted an issue regarding service connection for a right knee meniscal tear. The case is being remanded to consider both issues together.

The Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis is rated at 10 percent, left knee meniscus tear at 20 percent, and PTSD remains rated at 30 percent prior to July 8, 2019, and 70 percent since then. The appeals for higher ratings are denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The initial ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees were denied, but a separate rating of 10 percent for recurrent subluxation of both knees was granted. Service connection for hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations, as well as the retrieval of outstanding records. The Board will also consider extraschedular considerations for his right wrist, ankle, and knee disabilities.

The Board has found that the VA treatment of methadone and morphine caused multiple falls, resulting in additional orthopedic, neurological, cognitive, and vision disabilities. The claims are remanded for further development.