Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right knee disability with scars and left knee disability, as well as his claim for TDIU due to his knee disabilities. Additional development is needed to properly adjudicate these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right knee condition, left knee condition, and lumbar spine condition due to new evidence received after the September 2019 rating decision. The Veteran's lumbar spine condition is now under consideration as it may be related to an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board denied service connection for left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome and lumbosacral strain, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability was received on August 23, 2019. The Board found no evidence of an ascertainable increase in the disability prior to this date and denied a request for an earlier effective date.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of November 2, 2017 for the awards of a separate disability rating of 10 percent for right knee chondromalacia, degenerative joint disease, and patellofemoral pain syndrome, an increased disability rating of 10 percent for left knee chondromalacia, degenerative joint disease, and patellofemoral pain syndrome, and an increased disability rating of 20 percent for right knee chondromalacia patella with instability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left and right knee conditions, finding that they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin disability are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that does not relate to these issues.,Service connection for respiratory disability is denied as there is no diagnosed respiratory condition.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the etiology of his claimed disabilities and whether they preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient verification of the appellant's service dates and types of service. The VA examiner is asked to provide an opinion regarding the likely etiology and onset of the appellant’s left knee symptomatology, including whether it is at least as likely as not that his currently-diagnosed patellofemoral pain syndrome had its onset during a period of active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that tends to prove or disprove the matter at issue.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have caused profound limitations to his ability to perform activities of daily living without assistance or supervision, including dressing, grooming, toileting, preparing meals, and ambulating. The Board finds that the Veteran is in need of regular aid and attendance of another person due to these service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left shoulder strain, right and left knee disorders, right and left hip disorders, sleep apnea, and insomnia are all granted. The Board found that the current diagnoses of these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are linked to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and needs a new VA examination for the right knee disability.

The Board has found the July 8, 2017 Notice of Disagreement (NOD) timely and remanded several issues related to service-connected disabilities including TDIU, DEA benefits, right total knee replacement rating, hypertension rating, right knee scar rating, left knee scar ratings, and SMC.

The Veteran's nerve damage of the right knee is not service connected, and his right knee scars do not meet criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7805. The case is remanded due to insufficient evidence on these issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for left knee instability, arthritis and residuals, and right knee osteoarthritis and chondromalacia have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current functional limitations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as he failed to cooperate with VA's efforts in obtaining information and evidence needed to substantiate his TDIU claim.