Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral eye disability has been reopened and is granted.,Service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, chronic lumbar strain, and bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 27, 2013 is being remanded due to the need for further adjudication of CUE claims. The issues are referred back to the AOJ for initial adjudication.

The Board has denied service connection for a right eye disorder, to include cancer. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's left shoulder condition, right knee condition (on secondary basis), and left ankle disorder (on secondary basis).

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left hip, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, and right knee strain. The conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition, back condition, heart condition and bilateral shoulder condition due to their inextricability with the Veteran's TDIU claim.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent for limitation of flexion and instability, but the Board has found that a higher rating is not warranted.,A separate 10 percent rating is granted for painful residual appendectomy scar.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation of 20 percent, but no higher, for a left knee disability from January 7, 2014, to May 27, 2014, is granted. The previous rating of 10 percent prior to this date remains unchanged.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for a right wrist disability and remanded the remaining issues. The Veteran's claim to reopen his right knee disability is granted.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, and migraine headaches. The Veteran's claim of service connection for generalized joint and muscle pain was also denied.,The claims for the left shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, and migraine headaches were all denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder has been granted, effective October 30, 2014. The claims of service connection for various conditions have also been reopened and are currently under consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and an eating disorder, as well as his request for an increased rating for hypertension, were all denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of these conditions in the medical records.

The Board denied service connection for various claimed disabilities, including those of the thumbs, index fingers, right ring finger, right knee, and left ankle. The Veteran did not have a current disability affecting these areas that had its onset in service or was otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for his left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of the TDIU issue.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, specifically whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's partial right knee replacement from August 24, 2014 to September 24, 2015 is rated at 100%.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and back condition (claimed as secondary to left knee osteoarthritis) have been granted.,Service connection was denied for left ankle osteoarthritis due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for degenerative changes of the right wrist, left knee, and right knee were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist and an increased rating for patellofemoral dysfunction of the right knee, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of his right shoulder, left knee, and right and left knee disabilities. The claim for a left shoulder disability was also denied as new and material evidence had not been received.

The Board has ordered additional VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the need for total knee replacement surgery to be obtained, as these are necessary to make an informed decision on the Veteran's claim.