Knee decisions — 2016

The Board has ordered new examinations for the Veteran's right and left knee conditions due to his claims of worsening symptoms. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee disorder, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and skin disorder. The Board found no clear and unmistakable evidence that the conditions preexisted service or were aggravated by service. There was also no probative medical opinion linking any current condition to service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right knee disability, including degenerative changes. The Board has remanded the case to obtain an addendum opinion from the examiner who evaluated the Veteran in October 2015 or another appropriate medical professional.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right knee, left knee, and back disabilities due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his in-service injuries.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues, including service connection claims and increased rating claims. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis or flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, which prevented a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his knee disabilities. The TDIU claim will be deferred until further notice.

The Board finds that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left knee is related to her service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, as well as PTSD. The Veteran's in-service injury to his front teeth is considered a dental trauma.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of her medical records.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee strain, arthritis, and right shoulder status post right rotator cuff repair with degenerative changes. The Board finds that these conditions are related to active service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and development of his TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is not warranted. The Veteran currently receives a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5257 (for instability) and an additional 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5259 (for symptomatic residuals of semilunar cartilage removal).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions provided in a previous VA examination. The Veteran is required to undergo additional examinations and obtain any outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have not met the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.,Both knees are currently rated at 10 percent disabling, and there is no evidence of ankylosis, malunion of the tibia and fibula, or dislocation of the semilunar cartilage.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including right shoulder, back, neck, right knee, and left knee disabilities, were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service. The claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and service.

Service connection was granted for left knee osteoarthritis, status post total knee replacement with an effective date of June 14, 2005.,Service connection was granted for degenerative arthritis of the left elbow and wrist associated with residuals of an injury to the left forearm with effective dates of June 13, 2012.,Service connection was granted for neuralgia of the radial nerve and median nerve associated with residuals of an injury to the left forearm with effective dates of June 14, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative changes of the left knee joint have been rated as 20 percent disabling for instability, but his flexion and extension limitations do not warrant higher ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, leg cramps, and a bilateral leg disability. The decision found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-service existence for leg cramps and that the right knee meniscus tear and bilateral knee degenerative joint disease were not related to service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability as secondary to his service-connected left knee disabilities. The lumbar spine and right lower extremity neurological disabilities are not found to be related to service or due to service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and medical inquiry, including obtaining SSA records, prison records, and VA examinations.