Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as right and left ankle disabilities due to conflicting evidence and inconsistencies in the Veteran's statements.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder strain, lumbosacral strain, right knee disability (including right knee strain, degenerative arthritis, and medial compartment narrowing), and left knee strain were all granted service connection. The Veteran's clavicular pain was denied as there is no current diagnosis.,Acne vulgaris was also granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for otitis media was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.,Service connection for the right shoulder disorder was reopened, but denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability, as well as service connection for it secondary to his left knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee condition, but remanded the issue of service connection for his right knee condition due to insufficient medical opinion.

The Veteran's left knee patellar tendonitis with degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, and the lumbar spine sprain with degenerative arthritis is also rated at 20 percent. Both conditions are denied for increased ratings.,Both disabilities have been evaluated based on their direct service connection without any presumption or secondary theory of service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as the VA needs to review his medical records and conduct a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the severity of the Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae, whether he has an additional disability due to VA treatment in 2010, and the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder, hip, great toe, cervical spine, hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities. The Board also requires a new examination for these issues.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his chronic leg pain, right leg impairment, right knee disability, right foot disability, and right hip muscle strain. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to assess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD) is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee cap disability are denied as not service connected.,The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, left groin disability, and right groin disability are denied as not service connected.,The Veteran's headache disability is denied as not service connected.

The Board has denied service connection for right hip, left knee, and low back disabilities due to the absence of proof of current disability. The claim for a right foot disability is also remanded as an addendum opinion is needed.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete examination reports.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral knee disability due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to uncertainty in her service dates and unavailability of certain medical records. The Veteran will need to provide updated information about her service dates, obtain missing service treatment records from June 1987 to December 1994, and request SSA disability records.

The Veteran's right knee disorder and Hepatitis C are being granted, but the right knee disorder is denied. The Veteran receives a 60% rating for his Hepatitis C as of September 30, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for postoperative ACL repair with arthritis of the right knee is being remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected shrapnel wound scar on the right knee is granted, with a 10 percent rating.

The decision is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new examination, including records from VA treatment since July 2018, private treatment from Dr. F., and right knee replacement surgery on October 1, 2018.

The Board has granted the claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected psychiatric disability, as it is in equipoise that the Veteran cannot maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating for left and right knee degenerative joint disease due to inadequate examination records, and for further development of his medical records.