Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim due to incomplete development and confusion in the AOJ's actions. The AOJ is directed to conduct appropriate development on the Veteran’s TDIU claim, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and completing a VA Form 21-8940.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent for painful noncompensable limitation of motion, and the right knee disability is also rated at 10 percent.,Both knees have not had compensable limitation of flexion or extension during the relevant rating period.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, as they do not meet the requirements of Correia v. McDonald (2016).

The Board dismissed all issues of service connection due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings on his left knee DJD and instability is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in rating beyond 10 percent for limitation of flexion, extension prior to June 2, 2017, and instability prior to June 2, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various shoulder, knee, and ankle conditions due to insufficient medical opinions addressing his in-service parachute jumps. The claims are pending further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The decision also notes that the Veteran’s sleep apnea is remanded for further examination.,Regarding arthritis in the hips and shoulders, the Veteran was asked to provide medical evidence showing a current disability and lay testimony linking it to military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the appellant's request for withdrawal of all issues in the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his left knee strain, hypertension, and tinea pedis. Issues regarding service connection for salivary gland disorder, right knee pain, and rating increases are also pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition, finding that there is no evidence to suggest a direct nexus between his in-service injury and his current disability. The Board also noted that the first radiographic evidence of arthritis was more than one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's left knee and left hip degenerative arthritis are granted as they resulted from trauma in service.,Service connection for right lower extremity neuropathy, including as secondary to exposure to herbicide agents is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the knees, cardiac murmur, and hypertension has been denied. The Board has found that there is no evidence to support these claims.,Regarding an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include chronic anxiety and PTSD), the Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if it is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding a right knee disability from July 21, 2005 VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for right knee and left shoulder disabilities. The issues of service connection for a left knee disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral foot disorder, and hypertension are remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative arthritis of both knees, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other compensable symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities due to potential aggravation by service-connected conditions. The Veteran's lay statements regarding symptomatology will be considered.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have worsened, and the Board finds that a remand is necessary to assess their current severity levels.

The Veteran's right knee replacement has been rated at 30 percent since April 1, 2007. The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The decision also noted that some of the issues are related to a service-connected lumbar spine disorder, but these secondary claims have not been granted.