Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated at 40 percent since December 12, 2016. The rating is for painful limitation of extension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his neck, back, left knee, right knee, and asthma disabilities due to inadequate notification regarding VA examinations.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of left leg, right leg, and cervical spine disabilities. The claim for lumbar spine disability was granted based on new and material evidence received.,The Board denied service connection for left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that it is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's depression with sleep disorder and anxiety had its onset in service, and the Board granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee instability, degenerative arthritis of the right knee, and cerebral concussion disabilities are being remanded for additional examinations to assess their current severity. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and foot disabilities due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating of right knee degenerative joint disease, currently rated at 40 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee condition due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding the nature and cause of his reported right knee disability. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical records, including VA treatment records and private treatment records, and undergo a VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on all issues except for his claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD. The claims are being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that there is a nexus between the Veteran's current right knee condition and his service, granting entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, shoulder, and spine disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is also being asked to provide VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee instability, flexion, and extension are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports. A new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of his right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the Veteran's current left knee disability began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the left and right knees have been denied. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and determine if there are any other conditions related to sarcoidosis that may affect his employability.

The Veteran's back disorder was granted service connection. The remaining claims for various other disorders were denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for anxiety and sleep apnea due to their inextricability with the main issue, which is also being remanded. The Veteran's anxiety claim will be addressed first.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, as the last VA examination was too old.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis with patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted service connection. A 30 percent rating, but no higher, for cervical spine disability (degenerative arthritis) and a 40 percent rating, but no higher, for lumbar spine disability (degenerative arthritis) are granted.