Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome with arthritis is granted a separate 10 percent rating for limitation of flexion, and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected anxiety disorder and knee disorders is also granted. The higher ratings requested for the right knee are denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent for limitation of extension effective January 28, 2020. The remaining issues are granted.

The Veteran's COPD is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His hearing loss of the left ear is also rated at non-compensable.,The Veteran has been found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities from October 20, 2010 to October 8, 2013 and this TDIU status is granted.,Right knee condition and left ankle condition are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right knee disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a current and adequate examination, as per Correia v. McDonald (2016).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's left knee DJD status post medial meniscectomy was initially rated at 10 percent prior to November 17, 2017. Since then, the disability has warranted a 30 percent rating.,Prior to November 17, 2017, the Veteran had limited flexion of his left knee (limited to 120 degrees) and no instability or recurrent subluxation. After November 17, 2017, he has experienced limited flexion (to 15 degrees).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not currently severe enough to warrant a compensable disability rating.,Service connection for low back osteoarthritis and left knee arthritis are both denied as the evidence does not establish that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to military service.

The Veteran's right knee instability and lost flexion are each granted a 10% rating, effective January 2, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives and insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, left and right knee disabilities and migraines due to uncertainty regarding his periods of active duty. The VA will obtain all relevant service records and schedule a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims can be adjudicated, and the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment status, which is necessary to determine if her TDIU claim should be granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's right and left knee instability disorders are currently rated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings possible due to the presence of other service-connected disabilities.,Prior to September 4, 2015, the Veteran was not found unemployable based on her service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral pes planus, tonsil condition, and headaches are remanded due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The VA is directed to schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA examinations and because of new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now pending with the appropriate development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to engage and maintain substantially gainful employment, including in a sedentary environment.

The Veteran's initial and increased ratings for right elbow postoperative residuals are denied, as the evidence does not show more than pain without compensable motion loss. The separate rating for a postoperative scar is also denied. For his right knee retropatellar pain syndrome, no additional or higher ratings are granted.