Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, including residuals of osteoarthritis and total arthroplasty. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted since May 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left knee disability and service connection is denied. For the lumbar spine disability, the Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between the condition and service, thus granting service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied her claim. The remaining issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's widow has withdrawn all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee DJD, as well as for right and left knee instability, were denied by the RO. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance due to knee braces is denied as the Undersecretary for Health did not certify that the knee braces caused wear and tear to his clothing.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his low back and left knee conditions, were not of such severity prior to March 13, 2012, to render him unemployable. Therefore, an earlier effective date for the TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance in 2014 was denied because his knee braces do not qualify as a prosthetic or orthopedic appliance that tends to wear or tear clothing, and the medication used does not cause irreparable damage to outer garments.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's left knee, right knee, and low back disorders as secondary to his service-connected left ankle disorder. The right ankle disorder was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the combined effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities warrant an extra-schedular disability rating, as the current schedular ratings do not adequately contemplate the collective impact of his conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the submission of additional VA treatment records after the last decision, and because the previous knee examinations may be inadequate. The case will be returned to the Board for further action.

The Veteran's eye problems, including glaucoma and dry eyes, are service-connected. However, his arthritis of the right knee and left knee are not service-connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder as secondary to his service-connected right knee disabilities and denied entitlement to a higher rating for his lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease and spondylosis.

The Veteran's chondromalacia of the right and left knees do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent under applicable DCs, as there is no evidence of limitation of motion or instability that would warrant such a higher rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for cholelithiasis, splenectomy residuals, liver disorder, low back disorder, and disorders of both knees. However, the Board has not reached a final decision on whether these claims should be granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a left knee disability, and finds that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Veteran was initially denied service connection in September 1994 due to lack of chronic left knee disability documentation. However, recent medical evidence supports a current diagnosis of a left knee derangement, which is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining new evidence and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with an evaluation of 50 percent effective August 23, 2012. The left knee disorder issue remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee tendonitis and a left ankle disability are related to her active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.