Knee decisions — 2018

All appeals regarding service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to the lack of an adequate substantive appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disability and an acquired psychiatric disability due to the need for updated treatment records and a VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for a right testicle condition and remanded the issues of initial compensable rating for left epididymitis, left varicocele, by ultrasound; service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome; service connection for left foot neuropathy; rating in excess of 10 percent for narrowing of L5/S1 by x-ray (claimed as lower back); and service connection for psychiatric disability to include insomnia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bipolar I disorder, CAD associated with herbicide exposure, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being remanded for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence and need further examination.

The Board has remanded four service connection issues: left shoulder, right shoulder, right knee, and left hip disabilities. The remaining issue is the left knee disability.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for various service-connected conditions were denied. A 20% rating was granted for bladder dysfunction.

The Veteran's PFB is rated at 30 percent, but not higher. The rating for his bilateral knee disabilities remains unchanged.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination. The claim for PTSD has been reopened, but further evidence is needed to establish its etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are deemed insufficient to determine if he is unemployable. A new examination and updated VA treatment records are needed to assess the cumulative effect of his conditions on employment.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disorder, bilateral knee arthritis, and bilateral ankle arthritis. The appeal regarding the Veteran's bilateral hip strain is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right knee disability due to new and material evidence. The claims for service connection for heart condition, type II diabetes mellitus, and eye disability are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability characterized as chondromalacia of the left knee, finding that it is at least as likely as not aggravated by military service. The claims for TBI and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted, and the issue of increased rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ankle, left ankle, and left knee disabilities due to lack of evidence showing a chronic disability during or within one year after service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right elbow, and low back disorders due to outstanding VA treatment records not being obtained.

The Veteran's knee disabilities are being remanded for additional examination and rating consideration due to changes in his reported symptoms since the last examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings in multiple conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with thoracolumbar spondylosis and scoliosis, left knee chondromalacia with subluxation, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to inadequate examination in March 2013. The issues will require further development.