Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to obtain medical records and provide informed opinions regarding his left knee arthritis, hypertension, and potential service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of her service-connected right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right ankle disability. Additionally, new medical opinions are needed to assess whether his claimed low back disability, left ankle disability, bilateral hip disabilities, and bilateral knee disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings in regard to his service-connected back, right shoulder, and left knee disabilities is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that has not yet been reviewed by the AOJ.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development due to incomplete information and need for clarification of the VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the VA examination conducted in August 2015 did not fully satisfy the requirements of Correia v. McDonald and Sharp v. Shulkin, and thus a remand is necessary to provide a full assessment of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed bilateral knee or bilateral shoulder disability, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the claims of service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to his combat experiences in service and the benefit of doubt has been applied, granting service connection for PTSD. The left knee increased rating claim will be remanded due to lack of Correia compliant examination. The right knee and lumbar spine claims are also remanded as there were no proximate cause opinions provided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, right knee chondromalacia, and left knee chondromalacia are related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for depression. The Veteran is granted service connection for this condition, as it is related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and left knee disabilities, but denied service connection for a right arm disability.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease with subluxation and instability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective August 7, 2014. The rating reflects moderate instability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg disability and for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to insufficient evidence of 90 days of active duty service, as well as lack of service connection for any pre-existing disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee and thumb disabilities have been denied. The right knee conditions are rated at the maximum available, while the left knee condition is not entitled to a higher rating. For the residuals of the right thumb injury, the claimant was granted an initial 10 percent evaluation prior to May 14, 2016, and a 20 percent evaluation thereafter.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The evidence received since the April 2005 denial relates to these conditions and provides a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an abdominal muscle disorder was denied. The claims of increased ratings for lumbar spine DDD and left hip DJD, as well as the claim for increased rating for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were also denied. Service connection for tinea pedis (athlete's foot) was granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the knees is not related to his service, but he does not have a current diagnosis of rheumatoid or gouty arthritis. The claim for these conditions was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and right foot disorders are not related to his military service, and therefore denied these claims.

The Board has determined that a rating in excess of 10 percent for recurrent subluxation of the right knee is not warranted based on the evidence provided.