Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent rating for left patellofemoral syndrome (left knee disability) is granted.,An effective date of January 2, 2013, is granted for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea and left patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left CTS, right CTS, a thoracolumbar spine disability manifested by arthritis of the lumbar spine, and arthritis of the left knee. The decision found that there was no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current right hip condition is related to his service-connected right knee disability.

The application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability is granted. The claims for increased rating for right ear hearing loss, and for bilateral pinch callus formation, inguinal hernia, hallux valgus, pes planus, and central annular tear at L5-S1 (claimed as low back condition) are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chest pain, head pain (including headaches), left elbow disability, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, bilateral shoulder disability, dizziness, and gastrointestinal disability due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran is requested to obtain an addendum opinion with adequate rationale.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal due to inadequate VA examinations and the need to consider flare-ups and neurologic manifestations of his knee disorders.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability and right shoulder disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal link between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his knee disabilities have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to additional active duty service since his last examination in July 2015. The VA will need to verify all periods of service, including ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA, and obtain any relevant medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran should be provided with new examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

Effective March 25, 2009, the Veteran's service connection for bilateral knee disabilities was granted. Effective November 7, 2014, his service-connected bilateral pes planus received a 50% disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable during the one-year period prior to filing the TDIU application.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back pain was reopened and granted. Service connection for right knee joint osteoarthritis is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder impingement syndrome, left shoulder impingement syndrome, right elbow degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left knee degenerative joint disease have been granted initial disability ratings. The GERD has also been granted a higher initial disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied because the effective date of September 11, 2007 is the earliest date he met schedular criteria for TDIU. The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the November 2006 rating decision.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral knee and leg disabilities, a sleep disorder, hypertension, and a sciatic condition. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood was granted an effective date of February 13, 2014.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, which is believed to have been caused by a falling tree during service and a car accident after service.

The Veteran's right fibular fracture disability is granted at a 30% rating, effective from April 3, 2019.

Service connection for chondromalacia patella of the right knee is granted, and a separate rating in excess of 10 percent for neuropathy of the right lower extremity to include the foot is also granted. Service connection for a head injury is denied. The claim of service connection for a right hip disorder is reopened, but no specific rating or effective date was assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational background, thus denying his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.