Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for a left knee disorder and has determined that he is entitled to service connection based on evidence showing that his current condition had its onset in service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including arthritis of the wrists, left knee condition, left hand scars, right ankle condition, vertigo and/or Meniere's disease secondary to hearing loss, migraine headaches secondary to hearing loss, Raynaud's disease of various extremities, anemia, and acquired psychiatric disorders. The remand requires additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a right knee disability and bilateral pes planus was reopened, and the claims are granted. The left ankle, lumbar spine, and wrist disabilities as well as OSA remain denied.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities have been rated based on their specific symptoms and limitations, with the highest possible rating of 20 percent for each knee. The appeal is denied as the criteria for a higher rating are not met.

The Veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome disabilities are rated at 30 percent each, but no higher. The Board found that the flexion in both knees is limited to 15 degrees with pain.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, right shoulder disability, lower back disability, bilateral hip disabilities, left ankle disability, and bilateral knee disabilities. The effective date of these grants is July 18, 2018. However, the TDIU claim remains pending as it was not formally filed in conjunction with other claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for her left knee and left ankle conditions, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and her military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records related to his shoulder and knee disabilities. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hysterectomy, right knee disability, and right ankle disability due to incomplete records. The Veteran's claim for vocational and rehabilitation employment services is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining relevant private treatment records.

The Board has dismissed the claims for DJD of the cervical spine and lumbar spine, as well as the ratings for left knee, internal derangement of the left knee, residuals of a right knee meniscectomy, scarring of the right knee, and hidradenitis suppurativa. The issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (secondary to major depressive disorder), rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder, and TDIU have been remanded.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 20 percent for right knee injury, post-operative meniscectomy, with frequent episodes of locking pain and effusion, effective September 26, 1984. A separate 20 percent rating was also granted for right knee injury, post-operative meniscectomy, with instability, effective the same date.

Your appeal for a higher rating for your left knee condition has been dismissed because you withdrew the appeal before any decision was made.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disorder and awarded a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, effective from February 9, 2017. The decision also denied an increased rating for the lumbar spine disorder prior to that date.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability, including patellofemoral syndrome and arthritis. The appeal regarding sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board denied a TDIU as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, alone, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome due to lack of recent VA examination and treatment records.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including those for a jaw condition, left and right hip conditions, left and right knee conditions, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder, liver condition, kidney condition, and TDIU. The reasons for these remands include the need to provide a Statement of the Case (SOC) and obtain medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to the need for additional medical examinations and information from the Veteran.

The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for psychiatric disability, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, and patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee. The effective date remains May 24, 2013.