Knee decisions — 2015

The Veteran's bilateral knee and hip disorders are related to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, which is granted as secondary.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed left shoulder, low back, left knee, and left hip disorders. The VA examiner will need to determine if these conditions are related to military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for chondromalacia of the left knee beginning May 1, 2012 was denied.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right ankle, right knee, and right shoulder disabilities due to new evidence submitted since the final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not make him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has restored the Veteran's left knee and right knee arthritis ratings to their prior levels, as there was no evidence of sustained improvement in his conditions.

The Veteran is granted total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from September 29, 2014 forward.

The Board found no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused the Veteran's current right knee disability, and concluded that his arthritis is not service-connected.

The Veteran's arthritis of the left and right knees are currently rated as noncompensable (0 percent) under DCs 5260 and 5261, respectively. The evidence does not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other factors.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the lack of records from prior to August 2010, specifically related to the Veteran's knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence, particularly regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and right knee disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, conduct VA examinations for his hearing loss and tinnitus claims, and determine the nature of his left knee disorder. The claim will be further reviewed after these actions.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease with bilateral neural foraminal stenosis at L3-L4, L4-L5 resulted in a 40 percent rating from October 6, 2011. The TDIU was granted on a schedular basis starting March 1, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to service for his back, left shoulder, and left knee conditions. The evidence does not establish continuity of symptomatology or a nexus between these disabilities and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing at the local RO due to his request. The issues of overpayment and reduction of benefits are still under consideration.

The Veteran's right knee was characterized by chronic residuals from March 1, 2011 to February 20, 2013, warranting a 60 percent rating. From February 21, 2013, the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent have not been met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting medical examinations to clarify the nature of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, right knee strain, thoracic lumbar strain, right ankle strain, and right shoulder strain.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 11, 2010, for the grant of service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is denied. The earliest possible effective date is February 11, 2010.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee chondromalacia, lumbosacral spine disability, cervical spine disability, and left ear hearing loss are currently rated at the lowest possible initial rating of 10 percent. The Board finds that these conditions do not warrant a higher rating based on their current manifestations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection of a left knee disability and granted it on the merits.