Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The issues of service connection for left knee disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and bilateral foot disorder with arthritis are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, type II diabetes mellitus, right knee gout, and a right foot disability due to additional evidence being added to the record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection due to incomplete records, need for additional examinations, and need to verify stressors. The issues of TDIU are also inextricably intertwined with these other claims.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for migraines and left knee disability was denied. The Veteran's PTSD is now rated at the highest possible rating (100%) due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral elbow, knee, hand disabilities, liver disability, weight gain, carcinoma of the abdominal cavity, kidney disability, and psoriasis due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's service treatment records and the need for additional VA opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the bilateral knees and feet, a skin disorder likely due to herbicide exposure, sinusitis, bronchitis, and COPD. The Veteran's pre-existing knee and foot injuries are presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right knee condition, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and eczema before the hearing.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection of a right hip disorder, right knee disorder, and right ankle disorder due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. However, the claims are still pending as further medical examination is needed to determine if these disorders are related to in-service injuries.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also includes a request for an initial compensable rating for TBI. Additional examinations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

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

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and assessments.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain are also being addressed.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was dismissed. Service connection was granted for obstructive sleep apnea, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee and back disabilities, as well as an increased rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to service or secondary to a shortened right leg, and if so, whether they have been aggravated by that condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right shoulder strain. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 60 percent for left TKR is granted from January 23, 2017.

The Veteran withdrew their claim for service connection of a left knee disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability as secondary to his right knee disabilities and denied the claim for an effective date prior to December 13, 2011 for the grant of a separate disability rating for instability of the right knee.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee, lip disorder, and bilateral eye disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has found that she is entitled to this rating based on the use of continuous medication, and no higher. Her knee disabilities are currently rated at noncompensable evaluations.