Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's right knee disability and bilateral foot disabilities have been granted, with effective dates set at July 22, 2011. However, his request for higher ratings or earlier effective dates has been denied.

The Veteran's claim for restoration of a 70 percent rating for TBI with cognitive disorder from May 21, 2015 is granted. Other claims are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee arthritis, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his right ankle condition. The Board also found that hypertension was not shown to be related to service.,The Board granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, noting that it had been diagnosed and treated since 2002, which predates his separation from service in 1991.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee injury, erectile dysfunction, joint and muscle condition (Gulf War related health complications), depression, right knee injury, herniated disc, tinnitus, and chronic fatigue syndrome have been granted. A 50% rating has been assigned for generalized anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder is granted. The issue of whether the Veteran's current pulmonary fibrosis is related to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, or if it has been aggravated by it, is also remanded.

The Veteran's right knee stress fracture of tibial plateau is rated at 10 percent, and his right knee instability is rated at 30 percent. The Veteran also has a separate rating for limitation of extension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his time in service.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent since April 2004. The Board has remanded the claims for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, chronic right and left wrist sprain, and denied service connection for a left ankle condition, right ankle condition, lower back condition, and neck condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee condition, including degenerative arthritis, finding that it was caused by active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and physical impairments, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted TDIU benefits.

The Veteran's appeals of the ratings assigned for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities have been dismissed due to their withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for reopening and service connection due to new evidence received since the last denial. The low back condition claim is reopened, but further examination and opinion are needed.

The Veteran's right knee brace causes wear and tear on his clothing, leading to holes and damage. The Board has granted a clothing allowance for the year 2017 based on this.

The Veteran's service connection for headaches, right knee disability, and TBI have been granted. The effective date for the left knee disability has not been determined due to a remand request. A total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted based on his service-connected disabilities. Right knee and vertigo issues require further examination as they may be related to other conditions or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is currently receiving a 10% disability rating for right knee extension from October 29, 2013. The evidence does not support an increase in this rating as the limitation of extension has been consistently at or below 15 degrees.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities, including left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, scars of the right lower extremity, and stroke. The Veteran is seeking initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability, an initial compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss, and a compensable rating for his scars of the right lower extremity. He also seeks service connection for his stroke.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee arthritis and anterior cruciate ligament tear, major depressive disorder, undiagnosed multi-symptom Gulf War condition, and TDIU due to incomplete examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to determine if any of the Veteran's current disorders are related to service. The issues include herniated disc and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, cataracts in both eyes, a disorder of the ring finger on the right hand, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, tinnitus, sleep disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.