Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and left ankle disability due to insufficient medical evidence. The VA will provide additional examinations to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities have been rated based on frequent episodes of locking, pain, and swelling. The Board has granted increased ratings for the left and right knees but not higher than 20 percent each. Separate ratings were assigned for painful scarring associated with arthroscopic repair of the knees. A 70 percent rating was granted for PTSD effective July 7, 2011. Other issues related to hearing loss and COPD are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee disability, specifically his claim for service connection. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s left knee disability is related to a 1991 injury while on inactive duty for training.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right knee, and thoracolumbar spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.,Specifically, the VA examiner found no direct link between the current diagnoses and service-connected shell fragment wounds.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right foot, left knee, head injury residuals, and jaw disabilities have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the onset and etiology of any current bilateral knee disability, including whether it is related to service or pre-existing conditions.

The claims to reopen service connection for degenerative changes and muscle spasms, right knee condition, and mental condition (claimed as parasomnia) are granted. The Veteran's conditions are related to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has found that the appellant's service treatment records are incomplete and requires further development to obtain his complete service treatment records, including those from his first period of Marine Corps service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional records and readjudication of previous appeals. The Veteran was previously awarded clothing allowances in 2012 and 2013, but the North Texas HCS should obtain these records and combine them with the current 2015 appeal.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for left knee disability, left eye loss of vision, bilateral hearing loss disability, sinusitis and rhinitis, and hives in January 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee instability and strain, as well as right knee instability and strain, finding that these conditions are related to in-service symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral foot, back, and right knee disabilities, as well as service connection for left knee and neck disorders due to a lack of VA treatment records after January 2006. The RO is instructed to obtain these records or provide a formal finding of unavailability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his back condition and TDIU claim. His initial increased rating in excess of 30 percent for migraines/cluster headaches, service connection for a right knee condition, service connection for a right foot condition, service connection for a left foot condition, and entitlement to service connection for a back condition are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a heart disorder, neck disorder, low back disorder, left hip disorder, left knee disorder, right broken foot, right foot cellulitis, TBI, and migraine headaches. The Veteran's military records indicate he was stationed at Camp LeJeune in 1982, which may be relevant to his heart disorder claim.

The Veteran's claims for special home adaptation grant, financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or conveyance, and assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing have been denied due to the absence of a service-connected disability that meets the eligibility criteria.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his left knee disability prior to April 28, 2015 and from June 1, 2016 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 30 percent for either period.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for a back disability was denied as new and material evidence did not relate the current condition to his military service.,The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for a right knee scar was denied as no evidence showed an injury in service or related it to his current condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee and ankle conditions due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of records. The issues include service connection for a left knee disorder secondary to bilateral ankle disorders, as well as initial ratings for lumbar strain with retrolisthesis, left and right ankle strains.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for left and right knee chondromalacia are inadequate due to the Veteran's severe flare-ups in his knees, preventing proper range of motion testing. The case is being remanded for further development including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a new examination with a different examiner if possible.