Knee decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been denied. The case is being remanded to obtain a VA opinion on the cumulative impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's right and left knee arthritis were denied service connection as they did not manifest within a year of his completion of active service, and continuity of symptomatology was not established. The current arthritis is attributed to age-related degenerative changes.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to inadequate VA examinations and outstanding medical records. The Veteran is entitled to new VA examinations to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine, right knee, and left shoulder disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability secondary to PTSD. The case is remanded for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of any left knee disorders.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and need for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee tendonitis with meniscal tear has been granted initial disability ratings for limitation of flexion, lateral instability, and dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of 'locking', pain, and effusion into the joint. The effective date is January 1, 2011 to August 12, 2019.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals concerning the issues of PTSD, right shoulder trapezius strain, migraine headaches, right knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's left knee disability was granted a separate 10 percent rating for lateral joint instability from September 16, 2019 to January 4, 2021. From January 5, 2021, the Veteran is denied a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral knee conditions, a right leg condition, and migraines are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding obesity and its relation to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, and neck disability due to inadequate development of his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the veteran's right knee disability, including ratings for different types of limitation and instability, as well as a total rating based on unemployability. The veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service connection to right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and bilateral shoulder conditions. The Board found that there was no factual ascertainable increase in disability within a year prior to the date of the claim.

The Board has received a statement from the Veteran withdrawing his appeal for service connection claims related to left knee and left ankle disabilities. As a result, the appeals are dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete range of motion assessments in his lumbar spine and left knee disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis may be service connected as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, but more evidence is needed for a final decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal due to inadequate examination and missing private treatment records. The Veteran is required to provide authorization for VA to obtain his private treatment records, and a new VA examination must be conducted.

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the prior remand directives and thus the claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated based on multiple conditions, including limitation of extension, flexion, impairment of the tibia and fibula, and instability. The current combined rating is 60 percent, which prohibits any further increase in evaluation due to the amputation rule.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral wrist and knee disorders due to inadequate medical opinions. The claims will be reviewed again with new evidence.