Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability and for further development on reopening claims for left hand tremor and right hand tremor.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his lumbar spine, left knee, and GERD conditions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the knees and hips due to a lack of a VA examination, as well as incomplete medical records. The Veteran must provide updated treatment records from his post-service visits and any older records from St. Mary’s Hospital.

The appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. Service connection has been granted for bilateral ankle pain, and the remaining issues (bilateral hip disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and TMJ disorder) are remanded.

The appeals for service connection for diabetes and a cardiac disorder are dismissed. Service connection for sleep apnea is granted, but the Veteran's TDIU appeal remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, which is presumed to be service-connected based on direct evidence.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for GERD and a lumbosacral spine disability due to the Veteran's withdrawal of those appeals prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for lumbar disc degeneration status post fusion, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome. The Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, disability ratings in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea with insomnia, and disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for hypertension were denied.,The Veteran was not granted service connection for right ear hearing loss or erectile dysfunction. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has decided that there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee condition was related to his military service, and thus remands the case for further development.

Service connection for major depressive disorder has been restored effective January 1, 2018.,The claims of service connection for back disability and right knee disability are still pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including the total knee replacement, is rated at 60 percent since April 1, 2018. The claim for a higher rating prior to March 28, 2017 remains denied.

The Board has determined that additional development and examination are required before the service connection claims for low back condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition can be adjudicated.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent for limitation of extension from March 11, 2014 to the present.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for limitation of flexion has not been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected left shoulder, right knee, and right elbow disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including a torn ACL and dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and swelling, has been rated at 20 percent since April 19, 2017. A temporary total disability rating based on convalescence for two months following surgery was granted.

The Veteran's high cholesterol, acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression), astigmatism and refractive error of the eyes, frequent urination, crescentic IgA nephropathy with congenital left atrophic kidney condition, right knee disability, left ear hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, and acid reflux are all denied as service connection. The Veteran's character of discharge for his period of active service from March 2007 to April 2012 is a bar to VA benefits.,The Veteran was not diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder or multiple personality disorder during his military service.

The Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection for left and right foot ingrown toenails have been dismissed. The Board has granted increased ratings for the Veteran's ankle and knee disabilities, but has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increase in rating of his TMJ disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and cause of his current conditions.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal, so the Board dismissed all issues related to increased disability ratings for left knee conditions.

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for left knee pain. However, it denied service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome with disc herniation, lumbar spine and for both right and left knee pain.