Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has denied the claims for lower back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The TDIU claim is also denied.

The Veteran's right thumb fracture with osteoarthritis is rated at 10 percent since March 26, 2014. A rating in excess of 10 percent for his chondromalacia patella of the right knee is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not found new and material evidence to support these claims. The left shoulder disability claim is granted as there is now credible evidence of a current condition. The left knee disability, sinus disability (including sinusitis), sleep disorder (including sleep apnea and secondary to tinnitus), and hypertension claims are denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders due to insufficient medical examination and lack of rationale in the previous opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for neck arthritis. The issues of bilateral hip pain, knee pain, ankle pain, and headaches secondary to neck arthritis are remanded.

The appeals for the claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of bilateral hips, knees, elbows, feet, hands, and shoulders have been dismissed. The claim of service connection for a low back disorder has been reopened but is still pending as it was remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for substance abuse, secondary to PTSD and increased rating for service connected PTSD. The Veteran's appeal for a 10 percent rating for his left thumb scar from November 4, 2009 to September 28, 2015 was granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability was denied as there is no current diagnosis and the Board found that his subjective complaints of pain alone do not constitute a disability.,For residuals of a right distal fibula fracture, prior to April 9, 2018, the Veteran's claim was denied as he did not have a marked ankle disability. Effective April 9, 2018, a rating of 30 percent was granted for malunion with marked ankle disability.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and hip disabilities were both denied as there is no evidence that the flexion limitation meets or exceeds the required criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's left knee disability has not been manifested by flexion limited to 30 degrees or extension limited to 15 degrees, so the claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for a right knee condition has been denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of higher evaluations for lumbar spine DDD, bilateral lower extremity sciatica, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left-knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence showing the condition was caused by or related to an in-service injury. The Court vacated and remanded the decision due to insufficient consideration of continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's bilateral rigid or hinged knee braces caused excessive wear and tear on his pants, leading to holes in the pants where the brace hinges press on them. The Board has granted an annual clothing allowance for the entire claim period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Veteran is now granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD.,PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of cervical spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The claim for increased rating of right hip disability was also denied.

Service connection for a right knee disability, right shoulder disability, tinnitus, and lumbar spine disability is granted.,A rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection, rating, and increased rating are being reviewed.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable rating for hemorrhoids. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knees and back, as well as the issue of left leg radiculopathy related to his spine disability, are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the merits has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for back, bilateral hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities as secondary to his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's PTSD, as his representative contends that there is evidence indicating an increase in severity since the last VA examination. The other issues remain denied.