Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right knee disability and entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The AOJ is required to obtain additional service treatment records, schedule a VA examination, and provide a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the veteran's current right knee disability and his military service.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are currently rated as 10% each, but the evidence does not support a higher rating due to limitation of flexion.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's symptomatic residuals of right knee semilunar cartilage removal, effective from the date of this decision.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral knee/leg disability, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his military service or any injury in service. The claim was also denied as secondary to his service-connected pes planus.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a thoracolumbar spine disability. The issues of service connection are being reviewed on their merits.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims related to his right ankle, hip, cervical spine, migraine, and knee disabilities. The VA examinations are deemed inadequate due to lack of proper range of motion testing and failure to address flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left knee disability from December 27, 2019 to September 21, 2020 has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 40 percent for left knee limitation of extension is being remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for a compensable disability rating from June 29, 2021, forward for left knee limitation of flexion is also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip disability and a left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of pre-service conditions or clear and unmistakable aggravation during active service. The current disabilities are not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Board has granted two temporary total evaluations for the Veteran's right knee surgeries, from July 8, 2015 through January 28, 2016 and again from January 28, 2016 through March 25, 2016. The decision is based on severe postoperative residuals resulting from her surgeries.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, including arthritis and instability, are rated based on painful motion. The VA has not provided sufficient evidence to determine the appropriate rating for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than May 11, 2015 for service connection and increased rating for other specified depressive disorder, as well as his claims for service connection for right hip and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to a lack of VA examinations and missing records. The Veteran's respiratory, bilateral knee, and sleep apnea conditions are being reviewed as they may be related to his service in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War.

The Board has found the January 2017 VA examination inadequate for adjudicative purposes and remanded several issues related to service connection. The Veteran's claims are now being returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient explanation in previous VA opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected back disability prior to November 25, 2019 and in excess of 20 percent from that date is denied. The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis was granted service connection but remains at a 20% rating.

The Board has decided to remand the issues of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in the prior VA examination.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to assess the current severity of the Veteran's left knee disability, as there was no examination during a flare-up and the Veteran reported new symptoms since the last examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for further development and examination of the Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee, finding that it had its onset during active service and is related to a documented injury.