Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, lower back, left knee, and right knee disabilities.,Further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claim for an increased rating higher than 20 percent for left shoulder strain. The claims for service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as for right shoulder and left knee DJD, were granted. The cases for entitlement to increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and right knee chronic strain with arthritis are remanded.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any right knee disorder or disability, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition. For his adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct, there is no evidence showing it was incurred during active duty. The claim for personality disorder is also denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee conditions due to lack of evidence linking current diagnoses to service.,Service connection was also denied for hypertension as there is no indication in the records that it began during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder, right shoulder, left hip, right hip, and left knee as secondary to service-connected right knee disability due to a lack of an opinion addressing whether these conditions are caused or aggravated by the service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disability and hypertension has been granted. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise, thus resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's left knee instability is granted at a 20 percent rating, effective from May 4, 2009 to February 11, 2014. The right knee instability and gout of both knees are each granted at a 60 percent rating, effective from February 11, 2014. Rhinosinusitis is granted at a 60 percent rating, effective from August 18, 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to determine if there is current treatment for the right knee and to assess its etiology. The lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy are also being reviewed.

The Board denied service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and a left knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of continuity of symptomatology or evidence of in-service incurrence.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, including his pain. The issues of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for left and right knee tendonitis with Osgood-Schlatter disease are being remanded.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's left knee disability (due to secondary aggravation of the right knee) is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder to include arthritis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of new evidence.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent for painful and limited motion. A separate rating of 10 percent for symptomatic residuals of right knee semilunar cartilage removal with a feeling of instability has been granted.

The Board denied service connection for right elbow and right knee disabilities as the evidence does not show that these conditions began during service or are related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for a back disability is granted.,The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for a right knee disability is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left knee instability and arthritis have been denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to outstanding SSA records and a need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of higher rating for PTSD, service connection for hearing loss, heart condition, sinusitis, left ankle and knee conditions, scar of right eyebrow, and tinnitus. The RO is directed to address these issues.

The Veteran's right knee medial meniscus tear is rated at 20 percent, but not higher. The rating was granted based on the March 2017 VA examination findings of frequent episodes of joint locking, pain, and effusion.