Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical examination and retrieval of outstanding records.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is granted service connection. The rating for urinary dysfunction prior to August 15, 2007 is denied and the case is remanded for further examination and evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for low back disability, radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, right hip disability, and left knee disability due to insufficient information regarding their onset in service or relation to service.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, sinus, heart, and hypertension disorders as there was no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability is granted as her current condition is a progression of symptoms that began during service. The Board finds the Veteran's lay statements and medical evidence supporting her claim, including an April 2012 VA examination which diagnosed her with bilateral knee arthritis.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased evaluations for various service-connected disabilities due to new evidence received since the last adjudication.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for aggravation of his congenital right foot deformity and a claimed right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, and residuals of a right foot injury. The issues regarding initial evaluations for DJD/OA of the left knee and DDD of the spine are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, a rating in excess of 20 percent for his right shoulder impingement syndrome with bicipital tendon tear, rotator cuff tear, and degenerative arthritis, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his hemorrhoids, and a temporary total rating for convalescence following surgery for his service-connected hemorrhoids.,The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current right knee disability or right shoulder disability. The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated as 20 percent disabling under DC 5201 due to limited abduction, but no higher because there was no evidence of ankylosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee disability and right peroneal nerve injury due to insufficient evidence of current severity.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disorders, headache disorder, right ear hearing loss, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS (rhegulopathy), left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left ear hearing loss have all been denied. The Board found no current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability, post-TKA, is rated at 60 percent effective December 1, 2017. The right knee arthritis remains rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right knee is currently rated at 10 percent, and his fixed valgus deformity of the right knee does not warrant a compensable rating. Both conditions are considered to be directly related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a back disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. The claim for service connection for anxiety is denied as there is no separate diagnosis from PTSD. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also denied because it did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder and right knee disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is also being asked to provide his vocational rehabilitation records.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims for compensable ratings for post-surgical scars of the left foot, right leg, and right knee can be properly adjudicated. Specifically, a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of these scars.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further development, including obtaining medical records from the Utah State Prison and providing a new opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, amoebic dysentery, skin disability, and migraine headaches due to incomplete records and lack of VA examinations. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents in service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, which includes prosthetic replacement and partial meniscectomy, has been rated at 60 percent since December 1, 2015. The Board found that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of the condition.

The Veteran's right knee disability, as manifest by recurrent subluxation, had not undergone sustained improvement. The RO reduced the 30 percent evaluation to noncompensable effective February 1, 2015, but restored it to 30 percent effective February 1, 2015, to February 27, 2016.