Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence received after the last supplemental statement of the case. The Veteran is required to provide additional service treatment records and personnel records, as well as undergo VA examinations for his claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that more information is needed to adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of his psychiatric disabilities, sickle cell trait, back disability, hip disability, knee disability, loss of use of bilateral lower extremities, TDIU, and DEA.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal concerning bilateral hearing loss is dismissed due to the Veteran's representative withdrawing it. Other issues are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a right collarbone disability, granted service connection for a left knee disability, and denied service connection for tuberculosis. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of tuberculosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability was received by the RO on March 19, 2013. There is no evidence of record to show that there was any communication from the Veteran indicating the intent to apply for service connection for a right knee disability between the final April 2010 rating decision and prior to March 19, 2013.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current right or left shoulder disorder, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.,For the periods relevant to this appeal, the Veteran's right knee ACL tear with pain and limitation of motion has been manifested primarily by loss of flexion to 90 degrees and loss of extension up to 5 degrees. The criteria for a disability rating higher than 10 percent under DC 5260 are not met.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran's lay statements regarding chronic pain since his in-service injury are considered, along with records from 1993 and 2012.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including strain with degenerative joint disease and retropatellar pain syndrome, is rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5260. A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability is granted.,Anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent based on occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, specifically whether it is related to his service-connected left knee disability or if it was aggravated by that condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions, as well as his claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain. The Veteran is to be provided with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of missing records. The VA will determine if his conditions are related to his military service, including exposure in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left knee disability prior to December 2, 2015 and 60 percent thereafter (excluding the temporary 100% rating from December 2, 2015 to February 1, 2017 for prosthetic replacement of the left knee) has been dismissed. The appeal for a higher rating for service-connected diffuse degenerative joint disease and spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine is remanded. The appeal for an initial compensable rating for service-connected right knee disability is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examination reports and conflicting opinions. The issues include tinnitus, left knee disability, right knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity sciatica, right lower extremity sciatica, acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression), and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain and knee disability, have been found to meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) since March 18, 1993.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting findings in a previous VA examination regarding range of motion loss. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for osteoarthritis of the right knee with loss of extension prior to March 23, 2016 is now before the RO again.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and right knee degenerative joint disease, as well as effective dates for these conditions.,Further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral plantar fasciitis is related to his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for cirrhosis of the liver and bilateral knee disability due to inadequate medical opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for readjudication of all evidence added since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address whether the Veteran's right knee disability is related to his military service or if it was caused by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis and DJD are granted service connection based on the chronicity of symptoms since service. The left hip arthralgia and trochanteric bursitis are not found to be related to service.