Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claims for service connection of right knee condition, left knee condition, low back condition, costochondritis, and PTSD. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability. The rating assigned is 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as they are now moot.

The Board denied the Veteran's reopened claims for service connection of a heart disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The claims for PTSD, Depression and Stress, Left Knee Disability, and Low Back Disability have been granted. The claim for Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 has been denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeal by his representative.

The appeal as to the claims for higher ratings for service-connected lower back disability, left knee injury prior to August 14, 2013, and left total knee arthroplasty is dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of left knee injury from August 14, 2013 onwards is remanded.

Entitlement to increased ratings for left knee disabilities prior to September 29, 2010 and after November 1, 2011 was denied.,TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia of the patella and instability have been rated at 10 percent, but a higher rating is not warranted as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip condition, left knee condition, and PTSD due to insufficient evidence in some cases and because updated examinations are needed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied because he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations, and no good cause was shown.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for skin condition was dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

Service connection has been granted for low back and bilateral knee disabilities. Effective dates have also been granted for PTSD service connection, but not for hypertension.,The Veteran's right hip disability, obstructive sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disability (secondary to PTSD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (secondary to PTSD), initial rating for bilateral hearing loss, and staged ratings for PTSD are all pending further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has determined that there is new and material evidence to support reopening of his claims. The appeals are remanded for further development including VA examinations and opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran’s current conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disorder, but remanded his claims for left knee, right knee, left ankle, right ankle, and foot disorders due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obesity, right knee disability, left knee disability, asthma, and congestive heart failure. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide a VA examination.

The Veteran is granted annual VA clothing allowances for the year 2014 due to use of a cane, wheelchair, crutches, and short leg braces. The clothing allowance is based on his service-connected disabilities related to a shell fragment wound.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of TBI is denied. The Veteran's right knee disability and PTSD are granted with specific ratings, but the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD remains denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for post-operative lumbar spine disorder, bilateral foot disorder, left knee condition, and right knee condition. The decision is based on a lack of current evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's recent VA examinations for his right ankle sprain and degenerative joint disease, as well as left knee degenerative joint disease, did not comply with the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald and Sharp v. Shulkin. Therefore, a new examination is needed to assess the current level of severity of these conditions.