Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted. The right knee increased rating claims were remanded due to inadequate examination reports, and the earlier effective date claims are intertwined with the right knee increased rating claims.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right knee disability and left knee disability, but denied the claim for lumbar spine disability due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral heel spurs, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and bilateral knee disabilities. The Veteran's claim for bilateral shin splints was not addressed as it is separate from the main issues.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disability was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain and tinnitus, but denied service connection for left-hand disability, left wrist disability, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder condition, bilateral knee conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome, rhinitis, respiratory condition, sleep apnea, and migraine headaches.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran's current disabilities to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities were denied, as the evidence did not show that either condition warranted a rating in excess of 10 percent. The appeal for TDIU was also denied due to the Veteran's service-connected sleep apnea and PTSD not precluding him from sedentary work.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for right knee injury. However, due to the need for a VA examination, the issue is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings, with the exception of right knee instability and limitation of flexion for both knees.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and non-service-connected disability pension benefits due to insufficient information regarding his spouse's social security number, lack of a valid medical opinion linking PTSD to an in-service stressor, and incomplete VA treatment records. The Veteran is also being asked to provide more recent income and net worth information.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the issues of right ear hearing loss and left knee osteoarthritis due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee and right ankle disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected post-operative meniscus tear with severe arthritis of the right knee.

The appeal for left knee strain was dismissed.,The rating reduction of post-operative right lateral meniscectomy with degenerative joint disease from 30 percent to 20 percent, effective September 1, 2018 was not proper and restoration of the 30 percent rating is granted.,The rating reduction of right knee limited extension from 40 percent to 10 percent, effective September 1, 2018 was not proper and restoration of the 40 percent rating is granted.,The termination of entitlement to TDIU was improper.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of left knee, left ankle, and hemorrhoids disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA will schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision found that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions, and that any current disabilities were not shown to be related to service.,The Board also noted that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder, as he had negative results on multiple mental health screens. The decision concluded that there was no evidence supporting the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder condition, right knee condition, sleep apnea, and migraine headaches.

The Board has denied an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with spondylolisthesis L5-S1. The claims for service connection for arthritis of the hands, legs (to include knees), and feet are remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate rationale for a previous VA examination, which did not address whether the right knee injury is secondary to the service-connected bilateral foot disability. The Veteran's testimony and medical records support this claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder disorder, low back disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The hypertension claim remains denied.

The Veteran's right knee instability and strain have not been rated higher than the currently assigned disability ratings, which are 20 percent for instability and 10 percent for strain.