Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for a left knee disability and has also granted service connection for this condition. The Veteran's private orthopedic surgeon provided medical opinions supporting his claim, while VA medical opinions were found to be inadequate.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right knee, lumbar spine, and right hip disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.,A new VA examination was ordered to determine the severity of the Veteran’s right knee disability. However, despite some improvement noted in 2011, his range of motion remained within normal limits and he did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, as well as the need for VA examinations to evaluate the severity of his current residuals.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the evidence is in equipoise and resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied, except that a TDIU was granted effective February 13, 2017.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for clarification of a private medical provider's qualifications and opinions. The Veteran was denied effective dates prior to April 7, 2016, for right knee strain and tinnitus. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also denied. A rating higher than 10 percent for right knee strain is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities do not render him unemployable due to his physical limitations, as he was able to maintain employment as a police officer for over a decade before voluntarily resigning. The Board denied the claim of entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, right hip arthritis, left hip arthritis, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and a depressive disorder), right knee disability, and left knee disability have been granted. The claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities are still pending.

The Board has remanded the claim for an increased rating of left knee disability due to inadequate range of motion testing in a previous VA examination. A new examination is required.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran is also seeking service connection for a left shoulder disability, which remains in dispute.

The Veteran's non-service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for non-service-connected disability pension benefits.

The Veteran's request for a clothing allowance due to the use of VA-issued bilateral knee braces in 2012 is denied because his knee braces do not qualify as a qualifying appliance under VA law, and there is no evidence showing they cause damage to clothing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for bilateral foot disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and left ankle disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine disability, right knee partial medial meniscectomy and medial plica excision, right long finger disability, left thumb disability, and right thumb disability due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is advised that he must cooperate with VA in obtaining evidence.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including instability and limited extension, is rated at 30 percent effective June 1, 2016. The Veteran also received separate ratings for flexion limitation (10%) and status post meniscal surgery (10%).

The Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for a bilateral eye disability (due to diabetes mellitus), and service connection for left knee and leg disabilities have been denied. The case is REMANDED for further development regarding the Veteran's left foot disability.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence, requiring a VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome is productive of painful motion, with flexion limited to 90 degrees and extension at 0 degrees. The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent has been denied.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, including right knee meniscal tear and left knee chondromalacia with arthritis, are currently rated at the lowest possible levels due to their limited functional impairment. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck, lumbar spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations and conflicting opinions.