Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disability and psychiatric disability due to incomplete medical records and inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any pertinent private medical records, schedule appropriate VA examinations, and consider the Veteran's lay history.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative arthritis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disability.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is dismissed. The appeals for service connection for a left knee disability, right knee disability, cardiovascular disability, migraine headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his left knee, multiple painful and unstable scars, multiple other scars, and tinnitus have been dismissed. Service connection has been granted for a psychiatric disability secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine, recurrent peptic ulcer disease, and chondromalacia of the right knee, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since April 27, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability.

The Veteran's initial rating claims for right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, and right knee strain have been denied as the evidence does not show that any of these conditions warrant a higher rating.,Degenerative arthritis of the spine has also been denied as it did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 30 percent effective February 7, 2020. The left knee issue remains unresolved.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right knee DJD caused his 2017 meniscus tear and arthroscopy, as well as reports of instability, imbalance, and frequent falls. The VA is instructed to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a right knee scar was denied, and he is now seeking an increased rating.,For the period prior to October 18, 2019, his right knee scar has been rated as zero percent. The Board found that this rating is not appropriate given the symptoms described.

The Veteran's right knee meniscal tear and left knee meniscal cyst with arthritis are granted service connection as they started during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during her military service and have persisted since then.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities due to a lack of effective date determinations in the February 2015 rating decision. The Veteran is also requested to provide any outstanding VA treatment records.

Service connection is granted for a left knee condition, right knee condition (secondary to the service-connected left knee condition), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder).,The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are found to be caused by in-service injuries. Service connection is also granted for his major depressive disorder as it is determined to be related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the service-connected lumbosacral strain remains pending and requires further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee internal derangement was granted with an effective date of February 3, 2016. The Board found that the condition became factually ascertainable to be productive of a 10 percent rating on that day.

The Board has remanded several claims for increased ratings and TDIU, including those related to the Veteran's low back disability, right knee disability, right ankle disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports and the need for new VA examinations.

Your appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed as the Veteran's authorized representative requested withdrawal of these issues.

The Veteran's knee disabilities are being remanded for further examination and rating consideration due to the complexity of his conditions, including a recent left total knee arthroplasty. The issues include seeking higher ratings for various periods and determining if he is unemployable based on his disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, migraine headaches, and right shoulder strain.,An effective date earlier than October 31, 2013 for the grant of service connection for migraine headaches and right shoulder strain was also denied.