Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for residuals of conjunctivitis, a vision problem, hypertension, and right knee disability are not supported by the evidence. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient clarification in the examiner’s opinion. The claims for residuals of conjunctivitis and a vision problem are denied as there is no indication of any current eye conditions that qualify as disabilities for VA purposes. The claims for service connection for right knee disability and lumbar spine disability are remanded as the evidence does not establish a clear link to active duty service.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are granted with respective ratings of 10% and 40%. The reduction in rating for the Veteran’s left knee patellofemoral syndrome from 20% to 10% was improper, and the 20% rating is restored. The reduction in rating for the Veteran’s left lower extremity radiculopathy from 40% to noncompensable was also improper, and the 40% rating is restored.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical evidence and a new VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disability, knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also includes a request for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance of another person. The reasons given are incomplete VA medical records and inadequate VA examination reports.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted with an effective date of August 1, 2005.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability evaluation for his service-connected right knee strain with medial collateral ligament tendonitis, status-post tenorrhaphy is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a right leg condition and ear infections due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions. The Veteran's claims will be further developed with additional VA examinations.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's left and right knee degenerative arthrosis, but granted separate ratings of 10 percent each for symptomatic residuals of meniscectomies in both knees.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right knee disability due to new evidence received since the final denial. The claim for coronary artery disease remains pending as it was granted on a presumptive basis.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 30 percent for left foot plantar fasciitis, and also determined that the Veteran was not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examinations, and a new examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's right knee condition.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD and increased ratings for various knee and spine disabilities, as well as a compensable rating for dermatitis.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a left foot disorder and a left knee disorder due to insufficient medical opinions in the January 2019 VA examination. The Veteran's current left foot disorders are not related to his military service, while the left knee disorder requires further evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current diagnoses and active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to address the severity of his left knee and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, as the current VA examinations are inadequate due to lack of consideration of flare-ups and functional limitations.

The Board denied initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not meet criteria for higher ratings based on flexion limitations.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for a skin disability and increased rating for left hand disability. The claim to reopen his left knee disability was granted, but the case is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee condition, finding that the Veteran's current chronic right knee condition had its onset during his active duty and persists since then. The claim was reopened due to new evidence received after the January 2014 rating decision.