Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded four issues related to service connection for various disorders, including a right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, right hip condition, and right knee disorder. The decision also mentions the need for addendum opinions regarding secondary causation.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and left knee disorder were not found to be related to service, leading to a denial of the claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee and right hip disabilities due to inadequate opinions regarding whether these conditions are proximately due or aggravated by service-connected right knee disabilities.

An earlier effective date of December 23, 2013 for the grant of service connection for a right knee scar is granted.,Entitlement to an initial rating of 70 percent for bipolar disorder prior to March 4, 2009 is granted.

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

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his service-connected left and right knee disabilities, as well as the issue of TDIU, are being remanded due to inadequacies in previous examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not significantly impair his ability to obtain or sustain gainful employment prior to July 17, 2015. The Board denied the claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's left distal tibia and fibula fracture was rated at 20 percent from October 25, 2012 to November 27, 2016.,Since February 2, 2018, the Veteran has been rated at 30 percent for his left total knee arthroplasty. The Board found that a higher 60 percent rating is warranted based on severe painful motion or weakness in the affected extremity.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a new VA examination. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether any current left knee disability had its initial onset during service or is otherwise related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of sleep apnea, left hip disability, right knee disability, and allergic rhinitis for further development. The Veteran's private treatment records from the Tri-Cities Sleep Center confirm a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. A VA medical opinion is needed regarding the etiology of these disabilities. For the right knee and left hip disabilities, new VA examinations are required as well.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical opinions regarding service connection for various conditions. The Veteran's lower back condition is being reviewed for secondary service connection due to his bilateral knee disability, while his pes planus and skin condition are being evaluated in relation to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral shin splints with chondromalacia are rated at 20 percent, and his left ear hearing loss is granted. The right knee and left knee disabilities do not warrant higher ratings.

The Board has denied service connection for right hip, left hip, right shoulder, and left shoulder disorders as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the appellant had active Federal service from March 14, 1960 to September 13, 1960 for purposes of basic entitlement to VA benefits. The claims for service connection and TDIU are being remanded due to incomplete development.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, left knee (status post knee replacement), right knee (status post knee replacement), left ankle, and right ankle disabilities. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, but no higher. The evidence does not support a rating greater than 10 percent for the left knee DJD.,The Veteran's fracture of right index finger with arthritis has been assigned an initial noncompensable (0%) rating and remains at that level.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee instability and degenerative joint disease prior to April 10, 2018 were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions warranted a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, pancreatitis, and total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to new evidence.

The Veteran's left knee instability is granted a rating of 30 percent from September 20, 2002 to October 9, 2003. A 60 percent rating for service-connected left knee status-post total arthroplasty is granted effective December 1, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD, left knee pre-replacement, and left knee post-replacement is being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are currently pending.