Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a right knee disability, including DJD. The claim is granted as the evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's current DJD is related to his in-service injury.

The Board has granted service connection for DJD of the bilateral hands and DJD of the bilateral knees, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a nexus to service.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist pain, right wrist pain, left hip pain, and right hip pain. Service connection is also granted for left and right knee disabilities due to combat participation. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities remains pending as a remanded issue.

The Board has determined that there is new evidence sufficient to reopen several service connection claims, including for severe headaches, auditory hallucinations, left knee condition, right knee condition, chronic sinusitis, and other conditions. The Veteran's claims are being remanded for further development of his records and a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee and left foot disabilities, as well as his lumbar spine, bilateral hip, bilateral knee, left leg, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The claims are remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and conduct new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine and left knee disabilities, as well as for a right knee disorder and inguinal hernia. The claims for increased ratings are also being remanded.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left and right knee osteoarthritis, as well as his right ear hearing loss. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right knee lateral instability and a compensable evaluation for isolated systolic hypertension have been remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left knee instability, right knee disability, post-traumatic midfoot mass, hearing loss, tinnitus, arrhythmia, hypertension, prostatic hypertrophy, acne rosacea, tension headaches, and tingling and numbness in hands, fingers, toes and forehead. The appeals are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to procedural errors and the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his character of discharge during his second period of service.

The Veteran's right knee flexion is limited to 120 degrees with painful motion, warranting a separate 10 percent rating. However, his TDIU claim was denied as he can still secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional evaluations and evidence to determine appropriate initial disability ratings and effective dates.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including plica syndrome, recurrent patellar dislocation and instability, and grade I and II degenerative changes of the menisci without tears, is rated at 30 percent for recurrent patellar dislocation and instability. An additional 20 percent rating is granted for grade I and II degenerative changes of the menisci without tears.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left and right knee chondromalacia as they are not adequately addressed by the current VA examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, effective date claims, and TDIU claim due to incomplete development of records and need for further medical examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to incomplete medical records and lack of a VA examination.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's service-connected right total knee replacement, finding that his symptoms did not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent prior to May 30, 2017 and 60 percent since then.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for unspecified depressive disorder has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for internal derangement of the left knee (limited flexion), limited extension, and instability have been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations, as his current evaluations do not comply with Correia v. McDonald or Sharp v. Shulkin.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further review and consideration of new VA treatment records, as well as reconsideration of whether there is new evidence that could reopen the left knee disorder claim.