Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for a right and left knee disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine strain. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left wrist disability, increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's claims are pending further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for low back disability and left knee disability, but denied both claims as there is no evidence of a nexus between these disabilities and active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as clarification of his Gulf War service. The issues include multiple musculoskeletal and psychiatric disabilities.

The Veteran's skin condition, pseudofolliculitis barbae, is rated at 0 percent due to less than 5% of the entire body or less than 5% of exposed areas affected. The Board finds no current diagnoses for a lower back or left knee disability and remands for further examination.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as hypertension. The Veteran's hypertension is found to be related to active service.,An effective date prior to February 22, 2018, for a separate 10 percent rating for ankle scars is denied.

The Veteran's service connection for insomnia is granted as secondary to her service-connected back and hip disabilities. An increased rating of 40 percent, but no higher, is granted for her thoracic spine disability. A TDIU rating is granted based on her unemployability due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to obtain records and determine if the Veteran's shoulder and knee disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations, lack of flares information, and need for additional records.

The Board has determined that the TDIU claim must be remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for diabetes, left knee disability, left foot disability, OSA, and chronic obesity have been granted based on the receipt of new and material evidence. The appeals are remanded for further development in several areas.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings due to insufficient evidence, including a lack of VA examinations in some cases.

The Board has remanded the claims for a low back disability and degenerative joint disease of the left knee due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than June 20, 2013, for the grant of service connection for depressive disorder and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus are denied. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's left knee strain, allergic rhinitis, psoriasis, and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been reopened, and the Board has granted a separate 20 percent rating for left knee cartilage impairment. The issues of service connection for low back disability, right ankle disability, psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), and TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, as well as a review of his coronary artery disease. The current ratings for these conditions are not contested.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is granted. The Board also remanded the issues of increased ratings for right knee degenerative joint disease and left knee chondromalacia patella.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal due to inadequate range of motion testing in previous VA examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to assess his right knee and back disabilities, as well as his headaches.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or link to service.

The Board has decided that there are issues with the initial evaluations for bilateral knee Osgood-Schlatter with patellar tendonitis and has ordered a remand to obtain authorization for private treatment records and schedule another VA examination.