Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is related to service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's petition to reopen several service connection claims was granted, including for high blood pressure, a neurological disorder manifested by shaking arms, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and right knee disability. Other claims were remanded.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 18, 2017, for service connection of various conditions were denied.,Claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, left knee meniscal injury, PTSD, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and a left knee scar were also denied.

The Board denied the application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a below the knee amputation, secondary to coronary artery disease. The reduction from 100 percent to 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder was found proper.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder pain, chronic low back pain, right knee pain, and right foot pain. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding service connection for erectile dysfunction and whether it is related to exposure at Camp Lejeune or medication for service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to a lack of VA medical records prior to 2011 and since 2017. The Veteran is asked to provide any relevant private medical records, including those from his separation from military service through the present.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to inadequate examinations. The VA needs to schedule new examinations to assess the severity of his knee disabilities and thoracolumbar spine disability, including any flare-ups.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the submission of additional VA medical records since May 2016. These issues will be reconsidered with these new records included.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran also had his petition to reopen his service-connected hypertension/high blood pressure claim denied. His TDIU claim was denied as he did not meet the criteria for a schedular TDIU due to his combined disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee condition, finding that there was no evidence to support an in-service injury and insufficient lay statements to establish continuity of symptoms after separation from active duty.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of entitlement to service connection for right knee disorder, left knee disorder (to include as secondary to a service-connected disorder), and back disorder. The evidence did not establish an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has denied reopening of previously denied claims for service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee and foot disorders, heart disorder, eye injury residuals, Meniere’s Syndrome, degenerative arthritis of the upper extremities, left shoulder injury, right wrist disorder, fractured ribs, ear disorder (excluding hearing loss), tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, bleeding disorder, and diabetes mellitus. The Board also remanded for further action on a claim for service connection for a left wrist disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claimed disabilities. The appeals are not about service connection via a presumption, exposure to herbicide, or any other specific theory of entitlement.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded as the Board cannot make a fully-informed decision without addressing whether her gynecological conditions and hepatic cysts clearly and unmistakably preexisted service, and if so, whether they were clearly and unmistakably aggravated by service.,The Veteran is also being asked to provide information about any private medical treatment she has received for these issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder was denied. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for rheumatoid arthritis of the wrists, hands, left ankle, right ankle, left knee, and right knee were all denied.

The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia patella is granted an initial compensable disability rating of 10 percent.,The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia patella is denied an initial compensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to new evidence received within one year of previous rating decisions. The issues include lumbar spine, cervical spine, left foot, left knee, colon disabilities, right eye strabismus hypertropia and exotropia, deviated nasal septum, and hepatitis C.

The Veteran was granted service connection for various conditions, including anxiety disorder and depression, lumbar strain and intervertebral disc syndrome, right lower extremity sciatica, and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection was denied for cervical spine disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and the need for clarification regarding flare-ups of right knee patella chondromalacia.