Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating as there is no evidence of limitation of motion to 30 degrees or more, ankylosis, recurrent subluxation, lateral instability, cartilage condition, tibia and fibula impairment, or genu recurvatum.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent prior to June 20, 2018 and 40 percent from that date. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating for any of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee, lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral hip disabilities. The claim for hypertension is also remanded as it requires further development to determine its etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and he is now entitled to benefits for his claimed conditions. The TDIU claim has also been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition, right knee condition, and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and low back disabilities due to a lack of clarity regarding clinical diagnoses. The Veteran is asked to undergo an examination to determine if his current knee and back problems are related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arthritis of the right knee, arthralgia of multiple joints, and CTS have all been denied as there is no evidence that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for an effective date prior to February 3, 2017 for the grant of the temporary 100 percent disability rating for partial right knee replacement. The appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spondylosis with DDD, radiculitis of the right and left lower extremities, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, cervical spondylosis with DDD, residuals of a hip fracture, and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea, and hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee conditions, finding that they did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or arthritis.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for headaches, low back disability, and right knee disability due to inadequate opinions in the VA addendum medical opinions. The Veteran will be afforded new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain, headaches, left knee disability, and left elbow disability. Service connection is also granted on an aggravation basis for acne (preexisting condition) and groin rash. The Veteran's athlete’s foot and eczema claims are denied.

The Veteran's combination of service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities precludes him from obtaining substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for nonservice-connected pension.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various arthritic conditions, but has remanded them due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for tonsillitis is denied, and remanded the claims for right and left knee disabilities.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis is denied. The Veteran's service treatment records are silent for complaints or treatment of this condition, and the examiner found no current diagnosis of right foot plantar fasciitis.,The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea (for both knees), right knee disability, and left knee disability to allow for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for any of the claimed conditions and thus, service connection is denied. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, RLE shin splints (right lower extremity), right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee DJD was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his active service. The claims for higher ratings for major depression, vertigo with mild vestibular symptoms, and tinnitus were also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), headaches, a right knee disability, and a left knee disability due to inadequate VA examinations in January 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete VA opinions and need for further development.