Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and instability have been granted increased ratings, with the effective date for the increase in rating being January 12, 2022.,An earlier effective date of March 20, 2015, has also been granted for the service connection of left knee instability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, as well as gastrointestinal disorder (GERD), due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or service-connected disabilities. The remand also includes a request for an opinion on whether obesity caused by service-connected disabilities is a substantial factor in causing or aggravating the Veteran's bilateral knee disorders.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, right wrist, and left shoulder disorders due to a lack of competent evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for various conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an acquired deformity of the right shin, a right ankle disability with pain, and a left knee disability manifested by swelling and flare-ups due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is advised to provide medical records and attend VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his right knee disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including a retrospective medical opinion and consideration of evidence related to employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current conditions are more likely related to aging and repetitive strain than active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left knee arthritis, finding that it is not proximately due to or worsened by his right knee arthritis and has not been otherwise etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 30% prior to January 26, 2016. After total replacement surgery on June 26, 2016, the rating increased to 60%. The left knee disability was initially rated at 10%, and after total replacement surgery in July 2020, it was rated at 60%.,The Veteran's low back disability was initially rated at 20% from June 19, 2015 to April 20, 2023. After the onset of IVDS symptoms on or after April 20, 2023, it was rated at 40%. The right shoulder disability had a rating of 0 prior to June 19, 2015.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right knee, finding that her flexion was limited to at most 40 degrees during flare-ups and did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent, and the claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left knee condition is remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for clarification on which diagnostic codes should be used to rate the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee painful limitation of motion. The issues include seeking higher ratings for various knee conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. The right clavicle fracture, right clavicle scar, left knee strain and joint osteoarthritis, and arterioslerotic heart disease are all found to be related to service. A rating of 30 percent has been assigned for bilateral hearing loss from October 28, 2019 through February 5, 2023.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for depressive disorder, TBI, headaches, right knee disorder, right shoulder condition, and neck pain are denied as they have already been addressed in his grant of service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's right and left knee instability have been granted a rating of 30 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the failure of the VA to obtain medical opinions and provide proper notice. The claims will be adjudicated again after obtaining necessary information and conducting further examinations.

The Veteran's request for restoration of a 20 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, from September 28, 2018, to August 5, 2023, is granted. A separate 10 percent rating for right knee limitation of motion is also granted. The Veteran's TDIU claim based on the aggregate effect of her service-connected disabilities is granted effective January 20, 2021.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding entitlement to a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left ankle disorder, and right ankle degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings related to bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, right knee meniscectomy residuals and anterior cruciate ligament tear repair residuals, and right knee scar residuals are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right knee, and TMJ disabilities due to inadequate examinations and missing medical records.