Knee decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU rating. The remaining claims for increased ratings are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and found that his current lumbar spine condition is not related to his military service. The ratings for his left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were reduced from 10% to 0%, but the Board determined this reduction was improper, and restored the prior ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for an addendum opinion regarding the onset of knee disorders during service or within one year after separation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee disability and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to additional VA treatment records being received, and an addendum opinion is needed regarding the etiology of GERD.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an additional VA examination and consideration of extraschedular evaluation. The Veteran asserts that his right knee disability warrants a higher rating, but the RO has not considered this issue yet.

The Veteran's claims for left knee, right knee, and right ankle conditions have not been reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.,The Veteran's claim for insomnia has been reopened.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability has been reopened.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability has also been reopened.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right eye disability and tinnitus. The claims for left knee pain, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus are being reviewed.

The Veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection of left knee, right knee and bilateral ankle disabilities were denied. The application to increase the rating for jaw disability was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for his left hand long finger disability and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the September 2015 VA examinations. The Board requires a new examination to assess the current severity of these disabilities, including measurements between the fingertip and the proximal transverse crease of the palm with the finger flexed to the extent possible for the left hand long finger disability, and compliance with the requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 4.59 involving measurements of passive and active range of motion - in both weight bearing and non-weight bearing for the left knee disability.

The Board has denied service connection for nose and sinus disabilities, as well as left knee, left elbow, right elbow, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence of current disabilities. The case is being remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, finding that it was incurred during his period of inactive duty training in 1995.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee disability is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the previous VA examination, which did not comply with the requirements set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 4.59.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient evidence of current disability and worsening symptoms. A new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the bilateral knee patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist strain, lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, sinusitis, tension headaches and migraine headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome. The Veteran's current diagnoses are consistent with his reported symptoms in service.

The Board has remanded seven issues on appeal, including service connection for various conditions. The Veteran's claim for skin condition is reopened due to new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for migraine headaches and temporomandibular joint dysfunction were denied, with the effective date set at February 15, 2008.,There was no prior claim or indication of intent to apply for service connection for these conditions before February 15, 2008.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been rated at the maximum allowed under VA guidelines. The Board found no evidence to support a higher rating and denied his request for an increased rating. For back and left knee disabilities, the appeal is remanded as there are insufficient in-service records to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has decided to remand this case for further examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for readjudication of his claim, including consideration of whether separate ratings are warranted for different symptoms or conditions related to his right knee disability.