Knee decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition in service or any chronic disability related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, a respiratory disorder (including COPD), and a psychiatric disability manifested by occasional nightmares are denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee condition, low back condition, and right eye condition are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral shoulder, knee, back, and ankle disabilities due to new evidence potentially related to service. The Veteran is requested to provide additional medical records or undergo a VA examination if necessary.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for rosacea, peripheral artery disease, right knee strain, left knee strain, commuter bowel syndrome (IBS), disabilities of the lumbar spine and thoracic segments of the spine, and a right hip disability. The claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim as the overpayment of $1,278.90 was properly created due to a retroactive reduction in compensation rate for incarceration.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his PTSD and to determine if he has left hip, left knee, or right knee disabilities that are related to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and dismissed the appeal as moot due to the finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the September 1979 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development and clarification of his service connection, TDIU, and hip disability claims. The Veteran is seeking to reopen his claims for bilateral knee and elbow disabilities, as well as a hip disability, all potentially related to his flat feet disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an incomplete opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected Hodgkin’s disease.

The Veteran's increased rating for bilateral hearing loss appeal has been withdrawn.,Service connection is granted for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, left knee arthritis, and right shoulder degenerative joint disease. Service connection is also remanded for left ankle arthritis and a bilateral foot condition.,Service connection is granted for left knee arthritis.,Service connection is granted for right shoulder degenerative joint disease.,Service connection is granted for left ankle arthritis.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.,The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board does not find any basis to grant a higher initial rating for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left testicular varicocele, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder strain, left knee patellofemoral syndrome (including pain and limitation of motion), and recurrent lateral instability due to left knee patellofemoral syndrome. The issues are being remanded for further development including examinations that comply with the holdings in Sharp v. Shulkin.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the schedular criteria.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death. The appellant contends that the Veteran's coronary artery disease, which was not service-connected, and his service-connected left hip and knee arthritis disabilities caused him to fall and fracture his hip, leading to surgery and ultimately resulting in his death.

The Veteran's hypertension, left little finger fracture, and right knee disability were all remanded for further evaluation. The Board found that a compensable rating was not warranted for any of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for low back condition and right knee condition due to inadequate VA medical opinions, requiring new evaluations.

The Veteran's right and left knee chondromalacia patella with ACL tear are currently rated at 30 percent each under Diagnostic Code 5256 for ankylosis of the knee. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating, thus denying both claims.

The reduction of the right knee rating from 20 percent to 10 percent was improper, and restoration of the 20 percent rating is granted. A separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability and a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic removal of cartilage are also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorder and bilateral shin splints are remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The claim for headaches is also remanded as the RO did not include it in the SOC.