Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of a right knee meniscal tear repair, a separate rating for removal of semilunar cartilage under Diagnostic Code (DC) 5259, and TDIU due to issues with the VA examination and development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's knee disabilities. The VA needs to obtain additional treatment records and provide an addendum opinion from a clinician.

The Board denied service connection for left thigh, right thigh, left knee, and right knee conditions. The reasons given were that the evidence did not support a finding of an in-service event or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's back disability is denied as there is no showing of a current condition related to service.,Service connection for the left knee and right knee disabilities are also denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling for patellofemoral syndrome based on limitation of flexion and separately as 10 percent disabling for instability. The claim for a higher rating for right knee instability was denied, while the claim for a higher rating for patellofemoral syndrome was also denied. A separate 20 percent rating is granted for degenerative joint disease with limitation of extension from January 7, 2013 to August 26, 2016 and a 10 percent rating thereafter.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, right knee degenerative joint disease, right eye glaucoma, and hearing loss in both ears. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a nexus to service.,There is no credible evidence linking the current disabilities to service.

The Board denied service connection for asthma and a chronic disability involving the knees and ankles, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and his PTSD rating was increased to 70%. The back, neck, and right knee disorders remain without a finding of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate examinations and conflicting evidence in the record. The Veteran needs a new examination to assess his PTSD severity, and an aid and attendance/housebound examination is also needed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease, finding that it is related to his active duty service.

The VA denied the withholding of disability compensation benefits for recoupment of disability severance pay, as the evidence supports that the withholding was proper.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disorder and right knee disorder, but remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for lower back, right hip, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence on file for an accurate evaluation of his current left knee disability, and a new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations regarding his bilateral knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and service connection claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee and right shoulder disabilities, as well as his claim for increased ratings for left knee degenerative joint disease, left shoulder bursitis, and lumbar spine degenerative joint disease. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions were granted effective June 1, 2014. However, he did not receive payment for the month of June due to VA regulations requiring that payments begin on the first day of the month following the effective date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current lumbar spine, cervical spine, right hip, left knee, or right knee disability. The Board also found no in-service injury or disease for any of these conditions.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee degenerative joint disease, and lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, have rendered him unemployable. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual employability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).