Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a left knee disorder and remanded the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for low back disability. The case is now pending further development.

The Board has granted a temporary total evaluation for the period from February 1, 2012 to February 1, 2013 and an initial 30 percent rating since February 1, 2013 for the Veteran's right knee disability. The remaining issues of entitlement to higher ratings are remanded due to need for additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee conditions due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran's right knee condition is related to an in-service injury, but his left knee condition is not. The Board also requested additional opinions regarding whether the left knee condition is secondary to the right knee condition.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The claim for hypertension was denied due to lack of new and material evidence, while the claims for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities were dismissed.

The Veteran's heart disease and bilateral knee arthritis are denied as service connection is not established. The Board found no evidence of onset in service or a relationship to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, lumbosacral spine, left hip, and right knee disabilities due to incomplete service treatment records. The VA is instructed to obtain any outstanding records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and remanded issues regarding obstructive sleep apnea, left knee sprain with patellofemoral syndrome, non-displaced patella fracture, and medial meniscal tear. The Veteran's claims are being returned to the RO/AMC for additional development.

The Board has determined that further examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any right elbow, right foot, bilateral knee, or bilateral ankle disorders. The Veteran's service records indicate injuries in service, but a VA examiner will be required to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient medical evidence addressing the Veteran's lay statements and the findings of his separation examination. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain medical opinions regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability secondary to left knee disability, as well as the rating of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims of service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back disorders. The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his current disability status.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for bilateral hearing loss and a painful scar are withdrawn. The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder is reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of bilateral patellofemoral syndrome related to his military service.

The Veteran's right total knee replacement surgery was performed in August 2012 and recovery was completed by November 2012. The claim for a temporary total evaluation based on the need for convalescence following this surgery is denied as it occurred prior to the effective date of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected, with the Board finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. The knee disorder issue is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), and back disorder were evaluated. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating for any of these conditions and remanded several issues including service connection for a left knee disorder, individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU), and service connection for a back disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability, left wrist disability, and left ankle disability due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable prior to December 7, 2011. The Board is remanding the case for referral to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of entitlement to a TDIU under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) prior to December 7, 2011.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder and left knee disorder, but has remanded all issues related to service connection due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's knee instability and pain have worsened, necessitating a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities were evaluated, with the left knee rated at 20% and the right knee rated at 10%. The appeals for higher ratings were denied as there was no evidence of additional disability not already compensated.