Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, left hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to outstanding development being needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral knee and ankle disabilities, right and left ankle disabilities, obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus type II. The remand requires obtaining VA treatment records, completing a VA Form 21-4142, and scheduling the Veteran for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his psychiatric disability, left knee disabilities are being remanded due to procedural issues and the need for updated assessments.

The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus, type II was granted. The initial rating for PTSD remains at 50 percent.,PTSD service connection claims were not granted with an effective date prior to April 4, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there is no competent medical evidence to show that his current left knee disability is related to his service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left leg numbness, right leg numbness, and right knee disorder have been denied.,Service connection has also been granted for tinea cruris.

The claims for service connection for left leg numbness, right leg numbness, and a left knee disorder are denied.,The claim of service connection for tinea cruris is granted.

The Veteran's initial rating of 50 percent for right knee degenerative joint disease from July 18, 2012 to July 29, 2012 is granted.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus to service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine DDD is granted, with a rating of 30 percent. Service connection for left knee pain with instability and OSA are also granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an incomplete VA examination and a need for additional medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left knee disability and his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left leg disorder, finding no evidence of a link between his active duty service and his current conditions. The Board also found that presumptive service connection under the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Act was not applicable to his case.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease and lumbar spine anterolisthesis, degenerative disc disease and thoracic spine compression fracture have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation based on current symptomatology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability, and the Board has granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for left knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer. The reasons given were that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease leading to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to exposure in burn pits and Agent Orange. The issues of heart condition, diabetes mellitus, type II, and peripheral neuropathy are being reviewed.

The Veteran's migraine headaches have been rated at 50% since January 2018. The Board has granted an initial rating of 50% for her migraines, finding that they are productive of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks with severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's claims for a temporary 100 percent evaluation based on convalescence of the right knee, and service connection for ruptured ACL and torn meniscus of the right knee as secondary to his service-connected right knee strain are being remanded due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The Board cannot adjudicate the merits of his appeals as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's left knee disability: an initial rating for osteoarthritis, an initial rating for instability, and a request for an effective date prior to January 3, 2013. The remand includes obtaining updated VA examinations consistent with Correia v. McDonald (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin (2017).