Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran needs to undergo more contemporaneous examinations to determine the current severity of his left knee, spine, shoulder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and hypertension disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability, including arthritis. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible reports of chronic knee pain since his military service.

For the entire period on appeal, entitlement to a separate disability rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for right knee instability is granted.,Between February 28, 2014 and November 15, 2020, entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with X-ray evidence of arthritis is denied.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the evaluations for the Veteran's right knee disability and service connection for hypertension due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral shoulder, elbow, hand, knee, and ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset in service or relationship to a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's rehabilitation plan and vocational rehabilitation services need to be reviewed due to her request for a change in her long-term goal from obtaining an engineering degree to pursuing a medical doctorate. The discontinuance of her VR&E services was also challenged, and both issues are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has granted separate 10 percent ratings for both knees due to painful motion, but denied any rating in excess of 10 percent for limitation of flexion or instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are not related to his active duty service.,The Veteran's prostate cancer is remanded for further development regarding exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to service, and for further development of his rheumatoid arthritis claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased initial ratings for his right knee disabilities due to missing records and new VA treatment records that have not been considered.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, and upper gastrointestinal disability (dysphagia) as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The appeals are based on direct evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is secondary to his service-connected left knee osteoarthritis.

The Board dismissed the appeal of issues related to service connection for gastritis, a rating in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and a compensable rating for facial scars associated with PFB. The issue regarding the character of discharge for the period from March 1977 to March 1979 was resolved in favor of the Veteran, but the appeal is dismissed as there are no remaining issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back disorder, bilateral knee disorders, radiculopathy of upper and lower extremities, skin disorder, and jaw disorder. The appeal is being returned to obtain additional VA treatment records and to provide a medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the October 2019 remand directives and thus, further remand is required. The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities need to be reassessed due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases of tinnitus and right knee disability for further development, including obtaining in-service clinical records from Elmendorf Hospital and providing VA opinions on their etiology.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis and subsequent total knee replacement are rated at 10 percent prior to February 27, 2017. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations that comply with prior remand directives.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left knee traumatic arthritis with limited motion. The case is remanded to determine if TDIU should be granted prior to July 28, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral ankle disorder due to inadequate opinions from VA examiners regarding the Veteran's statements of continuity of symptoms since service.