Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case for another VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left knee disability is related to service, whether it is caused by or due to his service-connected right knee disability, and whether it is aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee surgical scars are rated at 20 percent, effective December 15, 2009. The Board also granted TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected left knee disability, finding that additional development was needed. The appeal is now remanded to obtain medical records and arrange further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders are not related to his active duty service or his service-connected ankle disabilities, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her left and right knee disabilities were denied as the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of her symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the Veteran's incarceration and inability to be personally examined. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including back injury, right knee disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 30 percent, which does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hip, knee, and back disorders are not service-connected as they were not shown in service or within one year of discharge. The current disorders are also not causally related to his service-connected ankle disabilities.,While there is evidence of current diagnoses for all three conditions, the medical opinions provided by VA and private providers have consistently found no causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's service-connected ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee DJD results in flexion limited to 120 degrees or better and full extension without instability. The VA examiner found no additional loss of function or range of motion after repetitions, no pain, fatigue, lack of endurance, or incoordination.

The Veteran's heart murmur is not a disability for VA purposes, and service connection cannot be granted.,Sleep apnea has been rated at the maximum 50% level due to use of CPAP machine. It does not meet criteria for higher ratings based on respiratory failure or tracheostomy.,Right shoulder degenerative joint disease is currently rated as 20%, which aligns with limitation of motion at shoulder level (170 degrees flexion).,Left knee tendonitis has been rated at the maximum 10% level, reflecting no more than normal range of motion and pain on movement.,Hypertension has not required compensable ratings as it is controlled by medication with diastolic pressure below 100 and systolic pressure consistently below 160.,Psoriasis affects less than five percent of exposed or unexposed areas without requiring systemic corticosteroid or immunosuppressive drugs.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination. The Veteran's right knee condition will be evaluated again to determine if it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 20 percent for instability, with a separate rating of 20 percent for dislocated semilunar cartilage. The Veteran also has moderate instability and episodes of locking and effusion in his right knee.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a more accurate VA examination of his left knee strain.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease resulted in a limitation of extension to no worse than 15 degrees from October 22, 2009 to June 9, 2010. The Veteran is not entitled to an evaluation higher than the assigned 20 percent rating.

The Veteran seeks service connection for various knee and hip disabilities, as well as a low back disability. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of lipoma excision was denied due to lack of material evidence. The Board found no current disability related to the claimed condition.,Service connection for stroke residuals, eating disorder, urinary disorder (frequent urination), sleep disorder, erectile dysfunction, and neck scars were all denied as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Veteran's GERD and hypertension were also denied as there was no indication that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right ankle, left ankle, and right knee disabilities. The Veteran's claim for periodontal disease (for both compensation and treatment purposes) was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or dental trauma during service.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right knee instability, which is secondary to his pre-existing right knee osteoarthritis. The case must be remanded to determine if VA treatment records from prior to or within a year after August 2003 could have been considered in the context of his increased rating claim and whether they constitute new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability, right ankle disability, and right hip disabilities. The issues on appeal are related to initial ratings assigned in a March 2013 rating decision.

The Veteran's claims for left knee and psychiatric disorders are being remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine the etiology of his current conditions, including in-service injuries.