Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has decided that the Veteran's scar, residual of right knee surgery, does not warrant a compensable initial rating. The issues of service connection for lupus and an increased rating for Osgood-Schlatter syndrome, right knee are remanded.

The Board has reinstated the Veteran's appeal for increased rating for right knee sprain, service connection for left knee arthritis, and temporary total evaluation based on surgery necessitating at least one month of convalescence. The appeal is considered timely filed as the Veteran never received a copy of the January 2019 SOC due to an incorrect mailing address.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and right knee disability are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence on file. An examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities, including whether they are related to service or secondary to other service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical examination, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's right knee disability is related to his in-service injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 20 percent for his left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not show flexion limited to 45 degrees or extension limited to 10 degrees.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been granted initial 20 percent ratings.

The Board has remanded the claim for a new VA examination with an orthopedist to assess the current severity of the Veteran's left knee disability due to previous inadequate assessments.

The Veteran's right knee torn meniscus was granted a separate 20% rating since February 4, 2019. The other conditions were rated based on their severity prior to that date.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis with painful motion is granted a 20 percent rating prior to September 9, 2014. A higher rating for limitation of flexion since November 1, 2014 is denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with tendonitis and tendinosis, as well as his bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, require further examination to determine their current severity. The issues of an increased rating for these conditions are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist disability, rectocele, right knee disability (secondary to service-connected left knee surgery), and bilateral pes planus. The Veteran is now assigned a 10% rating for s/p left knee surgery with pain and cartilage thinning.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, elbow, and knee conditions due to additional evidence being added to the record since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including limitation of motion and instability, is rated at 30 percent from February 4, 1996, to February 19, 2002. A separate 10 percent rating for instability was granted prior to February 19, 2002. The Veteran's left knee disability is now rated at 30 percent from April 29, 2003, forward and a separate 10 percent rating for instability has been granted from August 6, 2005, to June 1, 2021. Service connection for glaucoma was denied.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for left knee recurrent lateral instability, effective August 20, 2007.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for migraine headaches has been withdrawn. The claims for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities, sleep apnea, breast cancer residuals, cholecystectomy residuals, right knee disability, left knee disability, left foot injury, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depression), traumatic brain injury with residuals, memory loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, and tinnitus have been dismissed. The claim for service connection for temporomandibular joint disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's right knee instability and degenerative joint disease are rated at 20 percent from April 14, 2012 to December 28, 2014. A separate rating of 20 percent is granted for semilunar cartilage dysfunction during the same period.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for Major Depressive Disorder is dismissed.,Service connection granted for right wrist disability, left wrist disability, and headaches as a residual of TBI.

The Veteran's appeals for ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee patellar tendonitis with arthritis have been denied. The evidence does not support a higher rating based on the current range of motion findings.