Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's increased rating claim for a left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions were dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed. The appeal of the issue to entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for residual scar from bilateral ovarian cyst removal is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating of his right knee disability, service connection for a left knee disability (including as secondary to the service-connected right knee), and TDIU due to inadequate VA examinations in previous years.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and the need for a new evaluation of the left knee disability, including flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's knee conditions are related to service, considering his in-service complaints of pain and his diagnosis of PFPS at separation.

The Board has remanded the claims for leukemia and bilateral knee disorders due to incomplete service personnel records, lack of adequate VA examination, and need for further development.

The Veteran's left knee tendonitis is granted as service-connected. The Board also found that the Veteran likely incurred multiple joint disabilities during his active duty, including shoulder, back, neck, and ankle issues, but did not find a direct link to service.

The Board has ordered the remand of several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, including a request for higher ratings and whether new evidence supports reopening his low back disability claim. The right knee disability secondary claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim due to conflicting medical evidence about whether the Veteran has depression and if it is related to his left knee patellofemoral syndrome. The case requires further examination by a VA psychiatrist.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for a new examination.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is now service-connected, but his low back and left lower extremity radiculopathy claims are remanded for further development.,The examiner will determine if the Veteran’s lumbar degenerative joint disease and herniated nucleus pulposus are related to his service-connected bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected left wrist and right knee disabilities are rated at 10% each. The Board has remanded the cases for further development to obtain medical records and allow the Veteran another opportunity to submit a private DBQ supporting his claims.

The Veteran's right-knee disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his knee condition, as previous evaluations did not include findings on pain, weakness, fatigability or incoordination.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by service-connected musculoskeletal conditions and is not otherwise attributable to service.,The Board also denied service connection for a skin disability, finding that exposure to herbicide agents did not cause the condition.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome was not rated higher than 10 percent prior to March 22, 2019 and 30 percent thereafter.,The Veteran's left knee internal derangement instability was not rated higher than 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and hemorrhoids due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate previous VA examinations and the need for additional evidence, including a new VA examination of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar strain, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome disabilities due to insufficient examination reports that do not comply with the Court’s rulings on assessing functional loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and increased rating for his right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection, as there is no evidence showing an in-service injury or disease related to the current left knee disability. For the right knee patellofemoral syndrome, the Board noted that while the Veteran's symptoms were painful and limited motion was present, they did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under Diagnostic Code 5260.