Knee decisions — 2018

The Board dismissed appeals for higher ratings for left shoulder strain and the residuals of left knee arthroplasty. The claim for service connection for hypertension was granted, but the right shoulder disability and lumbar spine disability were denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability is not established, and his bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea are also not established. The Veteran was granted service connection for chest pain (lump in sternum).,Service connection for the remaining conditions has been denied.

The Veteran's appeals seeking service connection for plantar wart, right foot and a right shoulder disability have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for erectile dysfunction, diverticulosis, epididymitis, hernia, and left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for compensable evaluations for vertigo and a surgical scar related to left knee arthroscopy, as well as her claim for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, are all remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's left knee disability is associated with extension limited to 10 degrees and symptomatic removal of the semilunar cartilage. A separate 10% rating for the semiluar cartilage removal is granted, but no increased or separate ratings are warranted for the left knee disability.

The Veteran's TDIU application is granted due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeals to reopen his previously denied claims for left knee strain, plantar and retrocalcaneal spurs of the left foot with DJD, strained calf muscle/pulled left hamstring, and a left shoulder disorder have been dismissed.,Restoration of the 10 percent rating for old healed fracture, right long finger, effective from April 1, 2017, is granted.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple service connection claims for various conditions, and the Board has ordered a hearing at the RO before a local hearing officer to address these matters.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee as it did not manifest during active duty and is unrelated to a hyperextension injury in service.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for fibromyalgia and joint and muscle pain is denied as there is no evidence of an undiagnosed illness. The Veteran's actinic and seborrheic keratoses are granted service connection due to sun exposure during active service. The right knee disability claim has been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been granted. He was previously awarded a 30% rating for PTSD effective July 28, 2011.

The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions have been rated at 10% for limitation of flexion. The Board found that the current ratings are appropriate as her range of motion is consistently above the threshold for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to insufficient evidence and need further examination. The issues include right ear hearing loss, bilateral foot disabilities (pes planus and plantar fasciitis), bilateral knee disabilities, and sciatica.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination reports and a need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for left knee, right knee, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and scars from appendectomy surgery were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus but not for the other conditions.,For PTSD, the Veteran received a rating of 70% which is the maximum allowed under current criteria.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral hand disability, neck disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, and sleep apnea. The decision also remanded the issue of an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right shoulder strain.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and unclear employment status. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are expected to be evaluated for their impact on his ability to work, with a focus on whether his current job constitutes 'marginal' employment.

This case is dismissed as the Veteran's representative withdrew his claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative joint disease. The Veteran's residuals of right patellar fracture prior to May 23, 2016 are not entitled to a higher than 10 percent rating.,Right knee scar status post right patellar fracture is not compensable.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased evaluations was timely filed, and all issues decided in the June 7, 2012 rating decision are now under review.