Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip stress fracture, bilateral knee disability, and left leg fracture as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his period of active duty for training.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective date and initial rating for chronic right wrist sprain, as well as service connection for right knee iliotibial band syndrome, are being remanded due to the need for additional examination.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the Veteran's disability evaluation for his right knee osteochondritis dissecans from 20 percent to 10 percent was proper, as there is evidence of sustained improvement in flexion under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition as due to service-connected right knee condition, and back condition as due to service-connected right knee condition. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus was not granted because the Veteran's tinnitus does not meet the criteria for an increased schedular evaluation under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260, and extraschedular consideration is not warranted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals of both issues, and the Board has dismissed them.

The Board has granted service connection for dermatitis. The cases of bilateral knee disability and an acquired psychological disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and meniscal tear are rated at 10 percent, with a separate 20 percent rating for dislocation of the semilunar cartilage. The criteria for higher ratings are not met.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches due to an in-service head injury and secondary to service-connected vascular dementia. The Veteran's joint pain conditions are denied as not related to service or a cold injury, and the scars on his left occipital area and right eyebrow are rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination. The issues include hearing loss, sinusitis, rhinitis, COPD, headaches, sleep apnea, arthritis conditions, eye disabilities, circulatory problems, neuropathy, radiculopathy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, hip disabilities, psychiatric disorders, lumbar spine disability, knee disabilities, and other unspecified conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions began during active service and granted service connection for both left and right knee disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities due to a lack of recent VA examinations and the need for additional testing as per Correia v. McDonald, 2016.

Service connection is granted for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease and lumbar spine spondylosis, as well as other service-connected disabilities. The effective date for the award of service connection for hemorrhoids is set at November 29, 2015.

The Board has denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to the Veteran not meeting the durational requirements for a total disability rating, and also because he was not a former POW at the time of his death. The appeal is remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current condition of his service-connected right knee disabilities, including instability and functional loss.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate examination that did not consider flare-ups, which could cause additional functional limitation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hip condition, cervical strain, and right knee condition due to lack of a current diagnosis. The cases are remanded for further development.

The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for peripheral neuropathy of each lower extremity as a complication of service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's left shoulder disability and arthritis of the lumbar spine with limitation of motion, right knee arthritis, and diabetes mellitus, Type II with retinopathy are all remanded for further examination and rating.

The Veteran's request to reopen his service connection claim for PTSD is granted. The Board also remanded the claims for bilateral knee disorders, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder) due to lack of sufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for back, cervical spine, bilateral knee, gout and hypertension have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals during a June 2016 Board hearing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, left ankle disability, and left foot disability due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.