Knee decisions — 2020

The Board dismissed all issues on appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims.

The Veteran's right knee condition has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board is remanding the case to obtain a new VA examination to assess his current level of severity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle and knee disabilities, as well as bilateral pes planus, due to conflicting medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis to his service-connected plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities aggravated his obesity, which is an intermediate step for determining service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been rated based on their effects on his ability to perform activities of daily living, with a 30 percent rating for post-operative residuals and a 40 percent rating for limited extension. A separate 10 percent rating has also been granted for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, finding insufficient evidence to establish that his current condition is related to military service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection of a low back (lumbar spine) disability due to lack of jurisdiction. The remaining claims for left knee, right elbow, and headache disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and disability ratings is remanded, while the TDIU claim from October 17, 2011 to April 4, 2012 is also remanded. The Board will consider whether the Veteran can secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the right knee disorder as secondary to a service-connected right ankle disorder, but denied direct service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as he has been employed in various positions that require similar education, training, and work experience.

The Board has determined that the claims for bilateral ear hearing loss, right hip condition, and left knee condition need further development due to incomplete or unclear VA examination reports. The Veteran's service connection claims are being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sciatica, back disability, right hip and knee disabilities, cold injury residuals, PTSD, chronic sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, skin disorder of the feet, fibromyalgia, stroke with left-side balance impairment, headaches (migraines), degenerative bone disease, heart disability, muscle pain and soreness, and a left eye disability. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and lower back disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left knee, and his service connection claim for bilateral arm numbness due to an in-service neck injury.,His service connection claim for bilateral arm numbness is currently on appeal and not yet decided.

The Veteran's post-total right knee replacement is rated at 60 percent, his bilateral hearing loss and right knee surgical scar are not compensable, and he has a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability. The Veteran also received a 20 percent rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy.

The Veteran's lung disability, low back disability, upper back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatica), right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatica), left knee disability, right knee disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, right foot disability, left foot disability, sinus disability, memory loss, hypertension, colon polyps, prostate disability, stomach disability, skin disability (including skin cancer and actinic keratosis), throat disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, kidney cysts, and liver cyst are all denied. However, the Veteran's lung disability is granted as due to asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back, bilateral knee, and bilateral foot/ankle disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in a previous decision.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 50 percent for limitation of motion, and his right knee disability is rated at 50 percent for limitation of motion. Separate ratings are granted for instability in both knees.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee condition as secondary to his service-connected right knee condition, finding that the Veteran's left knee absorbed most of the weight and strain due to his significant right knee issues.