Knee decisions — 2018

The Board denied an extra-schedular rating for the Veteran's left knee condition, finding that the established schedular criteria adequately describe his disability levels and symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to his failure to appear at scheduled VA examinations. The issues include service connection and disability ratings for bilateral foot disabilities, right knee instability, arthritis, and scar.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for increased ratings for right hip and knee disorders. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable rating codes.

The Veteran's left knee internal derangement and instability have been rated based on their respective diagnostic codes, with the left knee internal derangement receiving a 10 percent rating and the left knee instability receiving a 20 percent rating. The Board has found that these ratings are appropriate given the evidence of record.,The TDIU claim is remanded as it was not properly referred for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ankle disorders, as well as left and right knee disorders. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,There is no current diagnosis related to the ankles or knees, and the pre-service and post-service medical records do not indicate any chronic disabilities affecting these joints.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to lack of compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's right knee disability is being evaluated again, and his TDIU issue will be reconsidered in light of these developments.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since May 18, 2013. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for PTSD and denies the claim. Other claims related to shoulder, elbow, back, and knee disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for left total knee replacement with residual scar from July 1, 2012 is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and further development.

Service connection is granted for a psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability (degenerative disc disease), and cardiovascular disorder. Other service connection claims are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability developed as a result of an injury during active service and is related to his right knee disability. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, bilateral wrist disabilities, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral elbow disabilities due to new evidence showing Gulf War Syndrome. However, these conditions are not found to be related to military service.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and left knee condition due to lack of current diagnosis, but remanded the issues for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis was reopened, and he is now entitled to a 10 percent disability evaluation. The claims for service connection for left ankle condition, right ankle condition, left knee patella chondromalacia, and right knee disability are all remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease. The case is remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and service treatment records, including from the U.S. Naval Hospital on the USS Haven, to determine if residuals of a right distal tibia fracture are related to active service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left knee disorder, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, low back disorder, left hip disorder, and right hip disorder. Additional development is required due to incomplete records.

The Board has added new evidence to the record and finds that it is necessary to remand the case for further development, including a review of all recent medical evidence and readjudication.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right hip, right knee, acid reflux, and low back conditions. The decision also noted that the Veteran's skin condition (claimed as dyshidrotic eczema) was remanded for a new examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and granted service connection for a left knee disorder due to an in-service injury, as the evidence is in equipoise regarding the etiology of the condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability that began during service or is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's claim for initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches with aura and photophobia is granted effective June 6, 2014. The appeal regarding the remanded issues (liver disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, and PTSD) is also remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims should be remanded due to new VA treatment records and the need for new examinations to assess current disability severity.