Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PFB, right great toe injury with residual scar, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left hip disorder, and right hip disorder may have increased in severity since the last VA examinations. Therefore, a remand is necessary to schedule the Veteran for contemporaneous VA examinations to assess his current disability levels.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including GERD, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, fatigue, and knee disabilities. The claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining additional medical records and providing nexus opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including a meniscal tear and instability post-meniscectomy, is currently rated at 20 percent effective February 21, 2018. The claim for earlier effective dates remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating for RA of the right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, right ankle, and left ankle are all denied. A separate 10% rating is granted for RA of the right hand. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU prior to October 3, 2014 were also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding no evidence to support a link between his current condition and active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, finding that the evidence did not show flexion limited to 15 degrees or less in either knee.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sacroiliitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), traumatic brain injury residuals, left wrist disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, narcolepsy, and fibromyalgia have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence of these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a direct relationship to service or secondary to his right knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome has been granted initial ratings of 10 percent for painful motion during flexion and instability, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has denied service connection for Multiple Sclerosis and remanded the cases of PTSD and Left Knee Strain, status post meniscectomy due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability was reopened, and the Board granted this claim. The left knee disability claim is denied.

The Board denied service connection for back, wrist, knee, finger, and neck disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.,The VA examinations did not provide sufficient information regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis and chondromalacia, as new and material evidence was received. The Veteran's current diagnoses are in equipoise with his in-service injuries, thus resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal in August 2019.

The Veteran’s claims for increased ratings were denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted a TDIU from June 29, 2007 based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities of right knee total replacement and coronary artery disease. The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether these conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of recent VA examination for the right knee disability, and requested additional development including obtaining treatment records and arranging for an orthopedic examination.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are rated under the criteria for arthritis, not retropatellar pain syndrome. The Board found that his symptoms were due to unrelated degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his mental and physical limitations limit his occupational opportunities but are not shown to be such as to preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment.