Knee decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has also been raised by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected.,Service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee, left knee, low back disorder, right hip disorder, and left hip disorder are granted as secondary to his service-connected residuals of a right foot bunionectomy.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, left and right knee conditions, left and right hip conditions, a cervical spine condition, arthritis of multiple joints, and an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating of 40 percent for back disability, including radiculopathy, was granted with a current effective date of March 11, 2010. Effective dates were also established for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and tinnitus on the same day.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has determined that his claim for TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and records, as well as for further development of the claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and to ensure all relevant records are associated with the claims file.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the claims of right elbow, left elbow, and left foot plantar fasciitis.,A left knee disorder is related to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated VA examination and treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for chondromalacia patella of the right knee with degenerative changes, arthritis of the right ankle, and DDD of the lumbar spine with collapsed discs. The Veteran's claims for other disorders are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and the provision of outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for back disability, but denied for thyroid cancer, acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability resulted in moderate incomplete paralysis of the right upper radicular group and severe incomplete paralysis of the right upper radicular group from April 7, 2015. The left upper radicular group also experienced moderate incomplete paralysis during this period. For the entire appeal period, his right knee patellofemoral syndrome with arthritis was rated at 40 percent, while his left knee patellofemoral syndrome with arthritis was rated at 30 percent. His left eye corneal scar with single dot retinal hemorrhage superimposed on refractive error with presbyopia received a separate 10 percent rating.

The Board has granted service connection for right long finger arthritis and secondary service connection for right knee disability (meniscectomy and arthritis) as related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the assignment of a 40 percent disability rating for his left knee disability was denied as it was not received within one year from the date as of which it was factually ascertainable that an increase in disability had occurred.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee and left shoulder disabilities were granted with effective dates of September 10, 2012. The Veteran met the criteria for a 10 percent rating for his left knee disability as of that date, and a 20 percent rating for his left shoulder disability as of that date.

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death is related to his service-connected disabilities, specifically the morphine prescribed for his service-connected left knee disability. As a result, the Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck, back, right knee and left knee disabilities did not have a direct relationship to his military service. The VA examiners could not establish chronicity of these conditions from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities, diagnosed as arthritis and spurs, are related to injuries sustained during service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's pancreatic cyst, liver cyst, renal cyst, left knee disorder, and initial higher disability rating for COPD. The COPD issue was granted with a 30 percent disability rating effective March 13, 2015.