Knee decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of permanent and total disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous examination as his last VA examination was conducted over 7 years ago. The examiner will assess the current severity of the condition and its impact on daily living.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee lateral meniscus tear with degenerative joint disease (DJD) is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for left and right knee conditions, as well as a low back strain. The appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee disorder should be remanded due to incomplete medical records and needs further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, and rating in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee DJD due to a lack of VA examination. The Veteran is required to provide additional treatment records and attend a VA medical examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back, neck, left hip, and right knee conditions due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran's STRs were lost, and further search did not yield any results. The case is being returned to the RO for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's disabilities were permanently aggravated by his service-connected right leg deep vein thrombosis and left leg deep vein thrombosis. Additional examinations are needed.

The Veteran's left and right knee retropatellar pain syndromes are currently rated at 10 percent each, based on painful limited motion. The Board found no evidence of additional range of motion loss due to pain or other factors warranting a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for low back, right knee, and left ankle disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's initial ratings will be readjudicated after new evaluations are provided.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee and thoracolumbar spine strain are remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right knee and shoulder conditions were denied. The case was remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for right knee disability and a TDIU due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran will need to undergo another VA examination to assess her right knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating for low back strain with degenerative joint disease, as his flexion remained above 30 degrees throughout the appeal period. For TDIU, the combined rating of 60% from service-connected disabilities met the threshold criteria but the Veteran was deemed unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability and heart disability due to lack of supporting documentation in the Veteran's service records. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that these disabilities are related to service based on the Veteran's statements.

The Veteran's right knee condition is currently rated at 10 percent, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if it warrants a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new examination of the Veteran's right knee due to concerns about the appropriateness of reducing his rating from 40 percent to 10 percent effective May 1, 2014. The Veteran should be provided with an opportunity to submit additional evidence and VA treatment records are to be obtained.

The Board has decided that further development is needed to properly assess the Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder and right knee disabilities. The remanded issues include obtaining additional medical records, conducting new VA examinations, and providing a reasoned medical explanation.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including high cholesterol and knee disabilities, due to lack of evidence establishing a current disability or a link between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been determined to be permanently disabling, allowing for eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits since March 3, 2008.