Knee decisions — 2023

An effective date of February 24, 2010, but no earlier, for a 20% rating for posttraumatic arthritis of the right shoulder is granted.,Effective from August 23, 2021, a separate 10% rating for right shoulder malunion of the clavicle or scapula is granted.,An effective date of February 27, 2009, but no earlier, for a 20% rating for left knee meniscus tear with osteoarthritis is granted.,As of December 12, 2020, a separate 10% rating for residuals of left knee strain with limitation of extension is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that there is at least a balance of evidence to support their onset during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, including arthritis and other conditions like chondromalacia and patellofemoral syndrome. The decision is based on the presumption of chronicity due to symptoms since service.

The Board denied service connection for various spinal, hip, and knee conditions, finding that the current disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran is also encouraged to provide any relevant evidence that may help corroborate his statements.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology since service and concluding that the disability is not related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including osteoarthritis and femoral condyle osteochondritis desiccans, is currently rated at 10 percent for instability. The Board finds a separate 10 percent rating for instability is warranted.,Service connection for left index finger disability was denied. Service connection for residuals of heat stroke (including memory loss) is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, lumbar strain, headaches, left ventricular hypertrophy, and sinusitis are not supported by the evidence of record. The appeals have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee condition is currently rated at 30 percent for limitation of extension and instability, with a separate rating of 20 percent for frequent episodes of 'locking', pain, and effusion into the joint from May 17, 2017. The Veteran's left hip condition remains rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's left knee conditions are not entitled to higher ratings as they do not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 30 percent for instability or limitation of extension and flexion.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for additional evidence and because of changes in personnel. The issue is now back with the AOJ for further consideration.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions and their relationship to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been granted effective from April 29, 2008.,Higher ratings for the knees are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inadequate reasons and bases provided in the previous decision, specifically regarding the adequacy of VA knee examinations conducted prior to March 30, 2021. The Veteran's right knee disability must be re-evaluated with new VA examinations that comply with Correia v. McDonald (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin (2017).

The Veteran's knee disabilities have been rated based on limitation of motion. The Board has remanded the issues for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus began in service and has continued since then.,Diabetes mellitus is remanded for additional examination and review of private treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VR&E records and a new evaluation by a VRC or CP to determine if he meets the criteria for a Category I designation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting left knee surgery and surgical scar did not become aggravated by service, and therefore, cannot be granted service connection for this condition.,There is no persuasive evidence to support a finding that any of the Veteran's disabilities (left knee disability, cervical spine disability, or lumbar spine disability) had their onset during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right knee disorder, including incomplete service treatment records and missing medical records. A VA examination is needed to determine if the current condition is related to active duty service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is remanded for a new examination. The issues of service connection for jaw condition/grinding of the teeth, bilateral wrist condition to include carpal tunnel, bilateral hand pain, bilateral elbow pain, left knee pain, and left shoulder pain are also remanded.