Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical records and an opinion regarding the etiology of the appellant's right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for athlete’s foot, foot pain, cervical and thoracic spine disability, joint pain, muscle pain, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right leg disability, and left leg disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran has not been formally diagnosed with any medical conditions relating to these claims. However, he has reported pain in various areas of his body during service and since then.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted were not compliant with the remand directives and thus, the claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative joint disease, and PTSD have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show limitation of flexion to 30 degrees in either knee or deficiencies in most areas due to PTSD.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left knee disability because the evidence did not show that the Veteran's injury was caused by the VA physical therapy session on March 4, 2013.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is granted as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The Board found the evidence in relative equipoise with regard to whether the right knee arthritis was caused by or aggravated by the left knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, headaches, cervical spine disability, right ankle disability, and left knee disability. The Veteran's left wrist disability is denied as it is not related to service.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his back disability, were not incurred during service or due to an in-service injury. His hearing loss was also denied.,Service connection for a left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, and right shoulder disability. The Veteran's disabilities are found to have started during his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee osteoarthritis have been granted initial disability ratings of 30 percent for painful motion during flexion, with the condition that these awards are subject to controlling regulations governing the payment of monetary awards.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,For his right knee patellofemoral syndrome, the Veteran received a 10 percent rating based on painful motion. The Veteran also received a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage in the right knee effective November 17, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the specific disabilities and issues are not fully specified in this decision. The Board has reopened his claims for thoracic spine disability, left knee disability, left elbow disability, left foot disability, bilateral hearing loss, and cervical spine disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for his left knee disabilities, as well as a right knee disability secondary to his left knee disability, need further examination and evaluation. The remanded matters include assessing the current severity of the Veteran’s left knee disabilities and determining whether any right knee disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that his current diagnosis is related to an injury he sustained during active service.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date for the right knee scar and granted separate ratings for left knee extension limitation, instability, flexion limitation, and service connection for endometriosis, cervical polyps, pelvic pain, respiratory disability, low back disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, and anemia.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing is granted due to her service-connected disabilities resulting in the loss of use of both lower extremities, requiring regular and constant use of leg braces.