Knee decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed right lower extremity and right knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, depression, and tinnitus have been reopened. Service connection is granted for tinnitus but denied for chest problems/blood clot in lungs. Other issues are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hypertension with chronic kidney disease, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right knee tendonitis, left knee damaged meniscus, and right knee instability, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder, hip, and knee conditions due to new evidence. The cases are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board finds that additional development is needed before the claims for higher evaluations can be adjudicated on the merits. The Veteran has submitted new evidence since the March 2015 Statement of the Case, and this evidence must be considered by the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities have been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing these claims.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right knee prior to March 25, 2015 has also been dismissed.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for various conditions and increased ratings for disabilities. The effective dates of the awards are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that additional records are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection of various orthopedic disabilities, including bilateral wrist, lumbar spine, hands, hips, knees, ankles, and feet disabilities. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the claim for fibrohistiocytoma, chest wall, right due to new evidence. The left and right knee conditions are denied as service connection is not established. A disability rating of 20 percent for bilateral metatarsalgia is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus, left hip disability, right hip disability, left total knee replacement, and right total knee replacement are all service-connected due to aggravation of pre-existing conditions during military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right wrist, cervical spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric disability and a lumbar spine disability. The appeals are being remanded due to outstanding records from Dr. James Morgan and the Texas Rehab Commission needing to be located and associated with the file, and a VA examination for the claimed psychiatric disability and lumbar spine disability is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a Gulf War illness, left arm neurological condition, initial compensable ratings for left and right knee strains, and initial compensable rating for dermatitis due to additional evidence submitted by VA. The AOJ is instructed to provide supplemental statements of the case as necessary.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder and right knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left hip disability, right hip disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, low back disability, and depressive disorder have been granted. The decision also remanded the claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for a right knee disability due to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for clothing allowances related to his service-connected conditions were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support the need for additional clothing allowances due to damage caused by his braces and topical medications.

The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of his condition, as the previous examination report does not include necessary information from Correia v. McDonald (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin (2017).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed disabilities, particularly those related to his right knee and hips. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical evidence or clarification of his symptoms.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to new evidence submitted since the August 2001 denial. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, and migraine headaches due to incomplete service medical records and the need for further examination.