Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted service connection for various conditions including a left knee disability, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, IBS, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including semilunar cartilage condition, limitation of extension, and instability, is rated at a combined 60 percent from May 25, 2010. A TDIU is granted effective January 31, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability does not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral tinnitus were withdrawn by the Veteran prior to the promulgation of a decision.,The Veteran’s lumbar spine disability was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's right knee disability rating has been adjusted to reflect her total knee replacement surgery, but a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of her condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee retropatellar pain syndrome and arthritis have been reopened, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA examination, specifically regarding whether her current knee disabilities are related to service-connected conditions and if there is pronation of her feet that could be contributing to her knee issues.

The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for the Board to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU. The PTSD rating is remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for chronic lumbosacral back strain with arthritis, right knee strain, left knee strain, and DeQuervain's tenosynovitis of the left wrist are denied. The claim for total disability due to individual unemployability is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right wrist, and right hand disabilities due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for new VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a right knee disability and a low back disability due to insufficient opinions regarding whether these conditions are related to active duty, ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA, or secondary to service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for right thigh impairment was upheld.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected thoracolumbar spine, left ankle, and left knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right knee and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disorder is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate previous medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right elbow disability has been reopened, and the Board has remanded the issue to allow for further development. The issues of increased ratings for left knee instability, limitation of extension, and limitation of flexion are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of his disabilities and whether they are related to service.

The Board dismissed all claims on appeal due to the Veteran's authorized representative requesting withdrawal of all appeals prior to the decision.