Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has decided that the VA examination provided for the left knee disability claim is inadequate and remands the case to obtain a new, adequate examination.

The Veteran's claim for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment is remanded due to conflicting medical records regarding the presence of left foot drop, which could affect eligibility. Additional VA evaluations are needed to clarify this issue.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions including muscle and joint disabilities, headaches, right knee disability, left knee disability, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left CTS, and neck disability due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection of his left ankle, right and left knee disabilities as well as a rating in excess of 20 percent for his low back disability due to potential secondary etiologies. The appeals are now pending with the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a clinical record discussing the etiology of his ruptured left patellar tendon and to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his knee disabilities and service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine are being remanded due to inadequate examinations in previous decisions. The case will be reviewed with a new examination that meets VA requirements, including testing range of motion under both active and passive conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cervical, lumbar spine disorders and right and left knee disabilities due to incomplete records and need for additional development. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a functional assessment of his service-connected left knee condition and an opinion regarding whether he is unemployable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right knee is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran’s claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete medical records and need for additional examinations.,The Veteran has multiple conditions related to her active duty service, including right hip disability, dry eye syndrome, Bell's palsy, left and right foot/heel disabilities (including Achilles tendinopathy), which may be related to her service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to outstanding treatment records from a United States Army health care center, as well as the need for VA examinations for his right knee disability and skin condition.

The petition to reopen the claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, right hand arthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis is granted. The Board has decided that a new opinion is needed regarding the relationship between these conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's right knee and lumbar spine disabilities, including a separate rating for bowel or bladder impairment secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine disability. The initial ratings for IVDS and right lower extremity radiculopathy are also remanded.

The Board denied an increased rating for left knee strain, finding that the disability did not meet criteria for a higher evaluation due to lack of recurrent subluxation or lateral instability and limited flexion.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's hypogonadism with low testosterone is currently rated at zero percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at zero percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at zero percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right foot disability is currently rated at zero percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for low back disability, left knee meniscal tear, and tinnitus. Other claims remain pending.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals of the issues related to right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, neck arthritis pain, left elbow arthritis pain, left wrist arthritis pain, left hand arthritis pain, right hip arthritis pain, left hip arthritis pain, right knee arthritis pain, and left knee arthritis pain. The issue of service connection for chronic skin systemic condition is also dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, recurrent rash, and left knee condition due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional evaluations of degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine prior to July 30, 2015, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to insufficient medical opinions regarding functional loss during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted for bilateral flat feet, but denied for migraine headaches, generalized primary osteoarthritis, knee replacement resulting from bone cancer, hypertension, prostate cancer, and diabetes. The decision also found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed chronic migraine headache disability.