Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow and right knee conditions, finding no current diagnoses of these conditions. The appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left calf intramuscular hemangioma, right knee disorder, and back disability have been denied. Service connection was granted for the left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatica) with an effective date of October 30, 2014.,A higher initial rating for the service-connected left lower extremity radiculopathy is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of bilateral hearing loss, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and specific phobia.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left knee disorder and psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) are not service-connected. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus. The cases of chronic left and right knee disorders secondary to bilateral pes planus are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected orthopedic disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantial gainful employment for the period from June 10, 2015 through March 21, 2018. As his combined evaluation during this period was at least 90 percent, which is sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU, the claim is granted.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is granted as service-connected, but the claims for other conditions are either dismissed or remanded.,The Board has decided that the Veteran's left shoulder injury status post left Mumford procedure is related to her in-service motor vehicle accident and is therefore service-connected.

The Veteran's left third finger disability and left knee Osgood-Schlatter disease were granted a rating of 10 percent, effective March 9, 2012. The Veteran's service-connected left knee instability associated with Osgood-Schlatter disease was denied.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right knee disability and remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches, as well as entitlement to TDIU. The appeal is mixed due to some issues being granted while others are not.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with arthritis, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with arthritis, and residuals of a right ankle fracture as there is no evidence that any claim was submitted prior to May 4, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left shoulder bursitis was denied. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for migraines and right knee disability due to insufficient opinions in the previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral knee pain, muscle fasciculations, and respiratory symptoms are granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. Service connection is also granted for lumbar and cervical spine conditions on a direct basis.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, back disability, bilateral hip condition, bilateral knee condition, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral foot disability due to lack of in-service injury or disease. The dental claim is also remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for back, right knee, left shoulder, right shoulder, right wrist, and bilateral plantar fasciitis disabilities as there is no evidence of current diagnoses or a link to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as there was insufficient evidence to show that his service-connected disabilities precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating prior to August 14, 2015, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular requirements and that there was no evidence of unemployability due to his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for musculoskeletal symptoms of the knees and back due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to his military service, specifically as Infantryman duties.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition and diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for the issuance of a Statement of the Case regarding his claims for increased evaluations for various service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of erectile dysfunction, left knee flexion, and back disabilities. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.