Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disorders due to incomplete records, including VA treatment records that do not reflect a prior left knee surgery. The Veteran is also advised to provide any relevant private treatment records or surgical reports.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and left elbow disorders due to outstanding VA treatment records and potential private treatment records. The Veteran should be provided with a new VA examination to determine if any current left knee disorder, right knee disorder, or left elbow disorder is related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective March 29, 2013. Service connection for a right knee scar was granted with an effective date of June 16, 2014. The Veteran's TDIU claim from January 11, 2011 to July 8, 2019 is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, including degenerative joint disease with lateral meniscal tear and chondroplasty, has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.,The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, prior to March 20, 2017, and since May 1, 2018, has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's right knee instability is granted a rating of 20 percent, but no higher. The Veteran’s right wrist disability remains at the current 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran needs a new VA examination that complies with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee disability, GERD, laryngeal dysphonia, and bilateral hearing loss were all denied service connection.,Service connection was not granted for any of the conditions listed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee disability, finding that new and relevant evidence had not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for other specified depressive disorder and right knee disability were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for right knee instability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee conditions and a cervical spine condition due to insufficient medical evidence of record. The Veteran is required to be afforded VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has accepted the Veteran's untimely Notice of Disagreement as timely due to good cause shown, and thus the appeal is granted for service connection for right hip, left hip, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right ear hearing loss, left hip disability, right hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further evaluation of the Veteran's left knee condition, which was previously rated as status post total knee replacement. The VA examiner is to conduct range of motion testing in both active and passive motions, with weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing settings.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 30 percent for instability and 20 percent for locking. The case is remanded to evaluate the extent of his current symptoms, including during flare-ups or after repeated use over time.

The Veteran's left and right knee arthritis were not found to meet the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion or instability.,Service connection was granted for glaucoma, but service connection for a respiratory disability remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, left knee disability, heart disability, psychiatric disorder including PTSD, and kidney disability due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,There was no credible evidence supporting the Veteran's assertions that he incurred or aggravated any of these disabilities during his military service.

For the period prior to November 2, 2012, a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right knee is denied.,From November 2, 2012 to December 12, 2013, a rating of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right knee is granted.,Since December 13, 2013, a rating of 30 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right knee is granted.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for left ankle and right ear hearing loss as withdrawn. The remaining issues of service connection for back, left knee, right ankle, and sleep apnea disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is service connected due to continuity of symptoms since discharge. The remaining issues are remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as scheduling appropriate examinations.