Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a lipoma removal from the top of his head has been granted. His claims for left and right ankle disabilities, excluding Achilles tendonitis, have also been granted with effective dates based on when he first filed his initial claim. The Veteran's depressive disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are found to be related to his service-connected conditions, and his headaches are secondary to these disorders. Service connection has not been established for anemia or right knee chondromalacia.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for a VA examination to assess the functional impairment.

The Veteran's right ankle disorder is granted a 20% rating. Service connection for bilateral knee and low back disorders are denied.

The Veteran's left foot drop disability is granted a 30 percent rating, but no higher. The claim for SMC for loss of use of the left foot was denied due to lack of evidence of complete paralysis. The Veteran's left knee ACL tear and limitation of extension are both rated as noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities cause functional impairments that preclude unassisted balance and propulsion to such degree that the Veteran would be equally well served by use of suitable prosthetic appliance at the knee level, resulting in a finding of loss of use of both legs at the knee level.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and right knee, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has decided that the claim for service connection of a left knee disorder must be remanded due to incomplete examination and lack of an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's 2000 complaints of knee pain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disorder and increased disability ratings for bilateral knee disabilities due to incomplete development.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee as secondary to the service-connected right knee disability, but remanded the issues regarding a higher evaluation for the right knee and service connection for Crohn's disease.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability was previously denied in June 2009. The decision is now reopened due to new and material evidence, but the right knee disability claims remain pending.

The Veteran's TDIU claim prior to June 24, 2010 is being remanded for the VA Director of Compensation Service to consider if an extraschedular rating should be assigned.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and psychosis, has been granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for further evidence.

The Veteran's skin disability of the feet, including onychomycosis and ingrown toenails, is related to service.,While the Veteran has reported pain and numbness in his left great toe since service, there is no current diagnosis of a left great toe disability. The Board finds that the Veteran’s testimony regarding this condition does not amount to a current disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for migraine headaches, back disability, and right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to September 28, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for limitation of extension of the left knee and for a rating in excess of 10 percent for limitation of flexion of the left knee, excluding the period from July 2019 to October 2019. The Veteran is required to provide updated VA treatment records and authorize VA to obtain any outstanding records related to his March 2020 left knee replacement surgery.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, as his right knee disability impacts physical employment but he can engage in sedentary work with breaks.

The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, COPD, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, arthritis of the knees, and diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to additional development needs.,Service connection is not granted for any of these conditions as there is no evidence linking them to service.