Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has granted the petition to reopen the claim for service connection for a left knee disability, but denied the claim itself as there is no evidence that the current condition is related to service or service-connected right knee.

The Board has denied increased disability ratings for the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities, finding that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The Veteran's bilateral shin splints and back disorder are granted service connection. The right knee, left knee, right leg/ankle, and left leg/ankle disorders are remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee disability, including her private treatment records and an addendum opinion from a clinician.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder as the evidence did not establish that these conditions were caused by or related to active duty service.

The Board has determined that more recent VA examinations are needed due to the Veteran's testimony suggesting his disabilities have worsened since the last VA examinations. Additionally, new examination reports which comply with the Court’s rulings in Correia and Sharp must be completed on remand.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, left knee, right knee, and back disabilities have been reopened.,Service connection has been granted for the Veteran's thoracolumbar back disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder and arthritis, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for skin cancer and remanded the cases of bilateral knee disability, hypertension, and recurrent chronic amebic dysentery due to lack of current evidence or inadequate examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability, including instability and specific findings regarding pain on range of motion testing.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee DJD and left knee traumatic arthritis are each rated at 10 percent, with no higher ratings granted. The residuals of a left knee injury with relaxation of ligaments also remain at 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome, finding that it likely had its onset during his active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee disability prior to July 14, 2015 and for a rating in excess of 30 percent post-total knee replacement. The issues are inextricably intertwined with TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the nature and etiology of his back disorder, left knee condition, and hamstring tendonitis. The current ratings assigned for PTSD, left knee, and hamstring tendonitis are not supported by the evidence.

The Board dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's claims due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims due to non-compliance with previous remand directives regarding the examination of the Veteran's knee and ankle disorders. The AOJ is required to obtain a VA examination that complies with the Board’s instruction, including assessing functional ability during flares or repetitive use.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as there is no evidence of service connection or a relationship to service.,A 10 percent rating for left knee instability is granted, but the Veteran’s right knee instability remains noncompensable.,The Veteran's left breast scar does not meet criteria for a compensable rating under current VA guidelines.,The extension of the temporary total evaluation beyond August 31, 2015 for convalescence following surgery for a service-connected left knee disability is denied.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, as the evidence does not show limitation of flexion or extension that warrants a higher rating.

The Board has decided that further examination is needed to determine the extent of the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, as there are conflicting medical records regarding which knee is affected.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left knee condition and its relationship to service, service-connected conditions, or any other relevant factors. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to address these issues.