Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for left knee instability and left hip osteoarthritis, as well as his claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability due to outstanding medical records and inadequate examination reports.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's left leg above-the-knee amputation is being reviewed for potential carelessness, negligence or fault on the part of VA.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for nonservice-connected death pension and special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance of another person, or by reason of being housebound due to insufficient evidence showing she is in need of such benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning and bases for its decision, specifically regarding whether arthritis is consistent with the Veteran's combat service. The case will be returned for further examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and left ankle disabilities have been denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for a bilateral foot disability, right shoulder strain, degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the neck, low back disability, and allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been denied. Separate 10 percent ratings are granted for arthritis of the right and left knees with painful limitation of motion, and a separate 10 percent rating is granted for residuals of a right knee meniscectomy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disability due to inadequate opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his current left knee disability. The Veteran contends that his left knee disability is secondary to his recently service-connected left thigh disability.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis and left knee limitation of flexion with arthritis are granted at 20% and 30%, respectively.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, and his right knee disorder is granted. The left shoulder acromioclavicular sprain with impingement syndrome and PTSD are both remanded for further review.,An effective date earlier than August 11, 2015, cannot be established for the increased ratings of left shoulder acromioclavicular sprain with impingement syndrome and PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation due to a lack of recent VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases of flatfeet/hammertoes, left knee degenerative changes and degenerative joint disease, and right foot hallux valgus for further development. Specifically, a supplemental VA opinion is required to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s flat feet/hammertoes, and a new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of his right foot hallux valgus and left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for prostate, gallstones, kidney stones, right shoulder, bilateral knee, and hip disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's right ankle and right knee disabilities have worsened, and he should be scheduled for new examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's knee disabilities, including left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, instability, and pain. The AOJ is instructed to schedule a new VA examination for the Veteran’s left knee disabilities due to their inadequacy in a prior January 2017 examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right leg disability is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder disability, cervicalgia, and right knee disability due to insufficient evidence in the record.

Service connection is granted for right shoulder disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, and right knee disability.,Service connection is granted for sleep apnea. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether it was caused by service.,Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's representative provided a private opinion stating that his current condition may or may not be related to service, which is considered speculative and thus remanded for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's service and potential onset of his neck and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's eligibility for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation is remanded due to additional mobility problems associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The Board finds a need for a new VA examination to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to ambulate.