Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations are necessary to properly assess the Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disabilities, as the current VA examination reports do not adequately address the Veteran's reported flare-ups and functional limitations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition, finding that her current condition is not related to her active duty service and is not secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining updated treatment records. The issues of rating left ankle disability, rating left knee disability, and service connection for right knee disability are all pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeals are granted as to cervical spine arthritis, left knee arthritis (left), right hand arthritis, right foot arthritis, COPD, and asthma.

The Veteran's lumbar strain was not rated higher than 40 percent, and he did not meet the criteria for TDIU prior to May 30, 2019.,From May 30, 2019 to June 9, 2019, and from August 28, 2019, the Veteran was granted TDIU due to his service-connected musculoskeletal conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee arthritis, finding that his current condition is related to an in-service injury. The claim was reopened due to new and material evidence received since the last denial.

The Veteran's left knee instability is rated at 10 percent, and a separate rating of 10 percent for painful limitation of motion is granted.,A 20 percent rating for the right ankle disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to inadequate examinations in previous decisions. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations for his cervical spine, right knee, right shoulder, left elbow, TBI, seizures, and migraines.

The Veteran's claim for a grant of specially adapted housing or special home adaptation is remanded due to the inextricability with other pending claims and the need for additional VA examinations. The case will be further developed before being adjudicated.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it is related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma. The other claims for service connection were withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board denied a higher initial rating for the service-connected left knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for pseudobulbar affect with continuous laughing was dismissed. The appeals for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, back disability, and bilateral knee disability are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's June 1999 automobile accident contributed to her bilateral knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's low back disability is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the cause of his condition. The right knee instability, bilateral knee disabilities, left knee impairment with traumatic arthritis and degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion), and right knee impairment with traumatic arthritis and degenerative arthritis (limitation of flexion) are also remanded. Bilateral hearing loss is remanded for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development and evaluation of his service-connected conditions, including PTSD, cervical strain, peripheral neuropathy, TBI, left knee strain, instability, and ED.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as her conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and denied both his direct service connection claims for right knee osteoarthritis and secondary service connection for right knee osteoarthritis. The decision also found that there was no evidence of a nexus between current left knee or right knee osteoarthritis and active duty service.

The Veteran's right knee condition is granted service connection. The issues of left knee and gastrointestinal disorders are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure by the RO to consider updated treatment records and an evaluation of the Veteran's right knee after total knee replacement surgery. The claim for an increased rating will be re-adjudicated under the appropriate diagnostic code.