Knee decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and verifying periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA. The appellant's right ankle and left knee disabilities may be related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development to assess whether his left knee disability and sleep disorder are related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current back disability and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of an initial compensable rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome is remanded due to lack of examination in over five years.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to a 70 percent evaluation, with an additional grant of special monthly compensation for the loss of use of a creative organ. The case is REMANDED for further examination and readjudication.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claim for a left knee disability and granted the underlying service connection, finding that there is evidence of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities are primarily manifested by symptoms of pain, swelling, weakness, and flareups resulting in moderately limited motion. The claims for higher ratings have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The case will be readjudicated after the development.

The Veteran's right knee disability was granted an increased rating to 60 percent effective June 1, 2011. The left knee arthritis with limited motion is rated 10 and 20 percent disabling throughout the appeal period. Migraine headaches are rated 50 percent disabling from March 1, 2009. Service connection for respiratory disorder (to include bronchitis, pneumonia, and COPD) and sinusitis were not granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current arthritic left knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is unrelated to any incident of service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination for the Veteran to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral hand disabilities, and undiagnosed arthralgia. The examination will also assess whether any diagnosed disability is related to service or if it was caused by another condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities did not have onset during or within one year following his active service, nor were they caused by any service-connected disability. The Board also found no evidence of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or attenuated FAP in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to an extra-schedular evaluation for his right knee disability and does not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's right knee total knee arthroplasty associated with degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the minimum rating under Diagnostic Code 5055. The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease does not meet the criteria for a separate evaluation of more than 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his request to withdraw the appeal for sleep apnea. The Board found that bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred in active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for psoriasis and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain with probable lateral meniscus tear, but the Veteran's claim for an increased rating remains pending.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraines, left ankle disability, back disability, and bilateral knee disabilities have been granted. The claim for PTSD has not been reopened.

The Veteran's claims for ear fluid condition, fluid in lungs, bilateral elbow conditions, bilateral knee conditions, and bilateral upper extremity conditions were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities. The claim for stomach condition was reopened due to new medical treatment records showing a gastric antral prepyloric ulcer.,The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, eating disorder, allergic rhinitis (mucus nasal congestion), and right parotid mucepidermoid cancer were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including issuance of a supplemental statement of the case and obtaining an addendum opinion regarding service connection for a right knee disability. A new VA examination is also required to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee, left ring finger, and left little finger disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic knee disability during service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee replacements due to arthritis.