Knee decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being REMANDED for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left and right knees.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for various disabilities, including upper cervical strain, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, bilateral hearing loss, and several psychiatric, musculoskeletal, and respiratory conditions. The Board has ordered a remand to address these issues due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and schedule him for VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities and the etiology of his headache condition.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including right shoulder, thoracolumbar spine, left hip, and knee disorders, as well as a right thumb cyst and numbness in the arms and feet, were denied. The Board found no current disabilities related to these issues.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right great toe injury and right knee patellofemoral syndrome were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent for either condition.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, post-operative residuals of a right inguinal hernia, and patellofemoral syndrome, right knee were denied as the preponderance of evidence did not support service connection or entitlement to increased ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right knee arthritis, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the reduction of a 20 percent rating to a 10 percent rating for chondromalacia of the right knee with a history of periostitis was improper and restored the 20 percent rating effective June 1, 2011. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a combined rating in excess of 20 percent for his right knee disability has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded to determine if the Veteran was unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to November 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess her service-connected knee conditions and bilateral pes planus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to his left ankle disability and an increased rating for his left ankle disability. The evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims, and the current ratings are deemed adequate.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for right knee meniscal tear residuals including partial medial meniscectomy residuals and granted service connection for left upper back shell fragment wound residuals. The Veteran sustained a shrapnel injury during combat in November 1969, which resulted in current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the RO to schedule another hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a hearing before the Board. The case will be returned to the Board after the scheduled hearing.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the disability rating for restrictive lung disease from 60 percent to 30 percent, effective February 1, 2010 was proper. The Veteran's appeal regarding increased evaluation of his right knee and right hip bursitis is remanded due to lack of a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was withdrawn. The Board found that the Veteran's tension headaches most closely approximated a 30 percent disability rating, based on characteristic prostrating attacks occurring once per month over several months. For his right ankle sprain with mild degenerative joint disease and arthritis of both knees, he is currently rated at 10 percent each.

The Veteran was rendered unemployable as of May 21, 2013, solely due to his multiple service-connected disabilities and this has continued unabated since that point in time.

The Veteran's service-connected right elbow ulna spurring, right hand middle trigger finger, and left hand middle trigger finger disabilities have been granted with a 10% rating each. The Veteran does not have any other service-connected conditions addressed in this decision.

The Board is remanding the claims for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and arranging for a VA examination to address the Veteran's TBI and other claimed disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disorder is not related to his military service and denied his claim.