Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a left knee condition and granted it, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence to support the conclusion that the Veteran's current left knee condition was caused by his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis and bilateral foot conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis, cataracts, and bilateral elbow disabilities have been granted. The claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for hypothyroidism has been remanded.

The Veteran requested withdrawal of the appeal for an earlier effective date for left shoulder degenerative joint disease.,New and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a left knee disability.,The Veteran's request for a compensable rating prior to March 18, 2016, and from May 1, 2016, for his service-connected left foot strain is remanded.,The Veteran's request for a compensable rating for his service-connected left hamstring tendonitis is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability (undiagnosed illness and/or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness) secondary to his service-connected right and left hamstring tendonitis is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability (undiagnosed illness and/or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness) secondary to his service-connected right and left hamstring tendonitis is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee disability and dental condition, as well as reopened the claim for a left knee disability. The Veteran's current left knee disability is not considered service-connected due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred in or aggravated by service. However, his diabetes may have aggravated his alveolar bone loss.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's headaches, back disability, sleep apnea, and diverticulitis are all granted service connection. The left knee chondromalacia is denied. Service connection for hypertension and a left testicular disorder are also denied.,Service connection for the cervical spine disability was granted with an initial 20% rating prior to July 9, 2018, but no higher.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left knee disorder and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and addressing functional loss during flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeals for ratings greater than 20 percent for osteoarthritis of the right and left knees were denied. The criteria for these ratings have not been met during the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, specifically related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's left knee condition is rated at 20% effective October 5, 2019. The effective date for the separate disability rating of left knee instability was changed to November 26, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate medical opinions based on a lack of review of the Veteran's full medical history, including his lay statements about symptom onset.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of a right-hand surgery was denied because the evidence did not show that VA care caused his additional disability.

The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia patella and instability were not found to warrant a higher rating from July 16, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional information regarding when he began experiencing chronic residuals following his total knee replacements.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination regarding whether his service-connected disabilities, particularly PTSD, result in permanent total impairment. Additional medical records are also needed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his left shoulder, right and left knee strains, or right ankle strain. However, separate 10 percent ratings are granted for instability of both knees.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right knee pain is related to service or his service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran asserts that if his right knee pain is not directly related to service, it may be secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability, finding that there is no causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities; bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus; PTSD; and an eye disability. The claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's current 10 percent ratings for his left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and consideration of additional evidence.