Knee decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for OSA, right knee disability, and left knee disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's increased ratings for left and right knee Osgood-Schlatter’s with arthritis and hamstring contracture (limited extension) are being remanded due to the need for further examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee patellofemoral syndrome and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome are denied. The claim for an increased rating for generalized anxiety disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted service connection. The low back disability remains at a 40% rating, but the Veteran is granted a separate 10% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy effective March 27, 2008. Right lower extremity radiculopathy continues to be rated as 20%. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and various knee and foot conditions, effectively preclude him from all forms of substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU have been met due to the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for an evaluation of his umbilical hernia, bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, retinal damage of the right eye, dry eye disability, sleep apnea, bilateral pes planus, and a cervical spine disability. The Veteran is also being remanded for further examination to determine if he has these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a right shoulder disorder and left knee disorder due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as his combined evaluation is less than 60% and he can still engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left knee disability was restored to a 20 percent rating from November 1, 2020. The Board found the reduction of his left knee disability rating to 10 percent in September 2017 was not properly made and granted restoration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or chronic condition and concluding that his current left knee disability is not directly related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right ankle, knee, and low back conditions secondary to his left ankle condition are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for initial ratings in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea with restless leg syndrome and an initial noncompensable rating for allergic rhinitis have been dismissed.,The Veteran has been granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed as the issues were withdrawn during a personal hearing.,Issues such as right knee disorder, left knee disorder, wrist carpal tunnel syndromes, upper and lower extremity neuropathies, nerve spasms in back, foot nerve spasms, fatigue, PTSD, irritable bowel syndrome, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and TDIU have all been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals during a personal hearing.

The Veteran's back condition, along with other service-connected conditions like right knee and hip issues, prevents him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions and the need for updated VA treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches, but remanded the issue of left knee disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's tension headaches are found to have started in service and continued since then.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was granted a 40 percent rating, but no higher, prior to August 23, 2018. The left and right knee disabilities as well as the cervical spine disability were denied service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected left knee conditions. The issues are whether the Veteran should receive higher disability ratings for his left knee osteoarthritis and instability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support the contention that his current condition was incurred in or due to his time in service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for mild degenerative changes in the left knee has been dismissed due to his death.