Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for anal fissure, tension headaches, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and TDIU due to failure to provide VA examinations as requested in a previous remand. The Veteran is also required to complete a VA Form 21-8940 to substantiate his claim of TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are related to his military service. The rating for bilateral hearing loss remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee strain due to inadequate examination findings. The Veteran should be provided with a VA examination to assess the current severity and manifestations of her knee disabilities.

The Veteran's skin, prostate, left knee, and right knee disabilities are not service-connected as they were not shown to be related to his active military service at Camp LeJeune.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities was denied due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his time in service.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his left shoulder disability was denied, with the highest possible rating of 30 percent being granted after October 18, 2019.,A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability is granted effective November 28, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA examinations and records. The Veteran's service connection claims for disabilities of the feet and knees are denied as there is no evidence that these conditions began during his active service or are related to in-service injuries. His PTSD claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent remains pending.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as the full benefits sought have been granted. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for dermatomycosis tinea, gastroenteritis, TBI, bilateral pes planus, a left ankle condition, and a left knee disability. The application to reopen the claim of service connection for headaches is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability and his TDIU claim were both denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for the cervical spine condition, as there was no credible evidence linking it to military service. For the TDIU claim, the Veteran’s combined disability rating was 10%, which is below the threshold required for a schedular TDIU determination.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with its April 2019 remand directives, and therefore the issues of service connection for psychiatric disability (other than delusional disorder), low back disability, circulatory system disability (other than hypertension), bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and right knee disability are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were dismissed as he withdrew his claims through his representative.

The Board has remanded the claims for instability of both knees and degenerative joint disease in both knees due to inadequate examination reports and missing VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee and foot disabilities, as well as the presence or absence of a superimposed injury in service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to outstanding SSA records and other potential issues. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is currently pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination for assessing the severity of the Veteran's right knee condition. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to determine his current disability level.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to new evidence indicating that his current knee conditions may be related to in-service duties.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, with a temporary 100 percent rating from March 14, 2017 to May 31, 2017. The Veteran's right shoulder scars are not compensably rated.,For the left knee disability, the Veteran has been granted separate ratings of 10%, 20%, and 30% based on recurrent subluxation or lateral instability (DC 5257), dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of 'locking,' pain, and effusion into the joint (DC 5258), and limitation of left leg extension to 10 degrees (DC 5261).

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's low back disability, but remanded several other issues including those related to bilateral hearing loss, right eye condition, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and bipolar disorder), left knee condition, right knee condition, left hip condition, bilateral foot condition, and left elbow condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for PTSD, alcohol use disorder, low back condition, and bilateral knee condition have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals through his authorized representative.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including instability, is currently rated as 10 percent for the period prior to February 4, 2019 and 30 percent from that date. The claim for an increased rating remains denied.,A separate 20 percent rating has been granted for left knee instability. However, the Veteran's TDIU application is also remanded.