Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for eligibility for financial assistance in the purchase of one automobile or other conveyance and/or automobile adaptive equipment due to issues related to his service-connected disabilities, including right knee disability, lumbosacral radiculitis, and bilateral high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. The decision is pending further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right upper extremity disability, initial compensable rating for a right hip disability based on limitation of flexion, and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain. The claim for an initial rating of 20 percent for a low back disability prior to August 29, 2017, was granted; however, the claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for a low back disability from August 29, 2017, was denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left hip condition, right knee condition, and left knee condition. The lumbosacral spine degenerative joint disease issue is also being remanded.

The Board dismissed all appeals related to the veteran's claims for various disabilities and benefits, including a rating for surgical scars of the left knee, service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, SMC based on aid or attendance or housebound status, and TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition and hypertension, including as secondary to diabetes mellitus II. The decision on the right knee claim is based on lack of evidence linking the current disability to service or any incident therein. For hypertension, the Board found no in-service incurrence and insufficient nexus between the current disability and service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for arthritis due to trauma of the right knee and status post arthroscopy of the left knee were denied by the Board. The appeals are not about service connection, but rather about the severity of the disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was reopened, and he is now granted service connection.,His hypertension and kidney condition are denied as not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's left knee disability, post-left knee replacement, is rated at 60 percent for the period prior to April 30, 2012 and from June 1, 2013 onwards.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee patellofemoral syndrome with suprapatellar bursitis and degenerative joint disease, left knee patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative joint disease, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The effective date of the grant of service connection for uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts is set at November 4, 2004.,The Veteran's claims were initially denied in July 2005 but were reopened due to new evidence submitted by her in October 2005. The effective date was then adjusted based on the earliest date of claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD and has remanded her claims for increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's right hip disability was granted a 10% rating prior to April 16, 2019 and a 30% rating effective from that date. The Veteran's right knee disability received a 30% rating effective from April 16, 2019.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability was granted a 30% rating effective from April 16, 2019.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination for the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate findings in the previous examination. The issues of increased ratings for limitation of flexion and instability are being remanded.

The petition to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for a right knee condition is granted. The appeals for an effective date prior to March 29, 2012 for the assignment of separate evaluations for left lower extremity radiculopathy and painful and tender scar of the left foot are dismissed. The appeals for service connection for a left knee condition, superficial nonlinear scar of the left foot, and lumbar stenosis with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral foot and knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU related to his left knee disability are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various joint disorders, including ankle, knee, and shoulder conditions. The issues are being returned to the RO for further development of the record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of traumatic brain injury, bilateral Achilles tendonitis, and erectile dysfunction have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal request. The remaining issues were adjudicated and decisions were made on them.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee condition and its relationship to service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a left knee condition, but an additional examination is needed to determine if he has such a condition and whether it is related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, and a VA examination is needed.