Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability and granted it. The issues of service connection for right hip, left hip, right knee, left knee, right ankle disabilities, and migraine headaches are all addressed on remand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations of his right knee disability and hearing loss, as the previous evaluations are deemed inadequate.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating at any point.

The Veteran's right knee instability and dislocated semilunar cartilage have been granted increased ratings, with a maximum of 20 percent for the latter. Service connection has also been reopened on new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the service-connected right knee impairment does not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 10 percent due to instability, and there is no separate rating for arthritis.,Residuals of a right fifth finger injury are not considered related to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee and lumbar degenerative conditions, meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined effect on his ability to work.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right leg or knee disability other than already service-connected conditions, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disabilities are rated based on the criteria provided in the rating schedule, and his use of assistive devices is not considered in these ratings. The Board finds that the current schedular evaluations adequately contemplate the Veteran's level of impairment.

The Board has found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left knee injury, and right testicular pain are all related to his service. The Veteran is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, rated at 50 percent disabling, did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to evaluate the severity of his knee conditions and determine if they are secondary to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to evaluate the severity of his right knee condition and determine if it is secondary to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty, is being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to determine if the condition is related to his service or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty, is being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to determine if the condition is related to his service or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical radiculopathy of the right arm, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of a total left knee arthroplasty, is being remanded as new VA examinations are needed to determine if the condition is related to his service or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being deferred pending resolution of the above-mentioned claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right and left knee disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran seeks service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee, which he contends is related to his active duty service and/or secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The Board has ordered additional development as requested.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of records. The issues include service connection for stomach ulcers, a higher rating for left knee disability, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's arthritis that led to his total knee arthroplasty, specifically whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left foot and ankle conditions.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected hypertension, left knee DJD, and right knee DJD. The RO will need to provide a new rating decision addressing these issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and any right knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess his left knee condition, as per Correia v. McDonald (2016). The case will be returned to the Board after further development.