Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's arthritis of the hips and knees are granted service connection, but his hand disability is denied.

The Veteran's cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities are granted as they were aggravated by a March 2015 motor vehicle accident during INACDUTRA.,The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is granted as it began during active service.

The Veteran's right achilles tendonitis and right knee strain have been evaluated as moderate in severity, with no marked limitation of motion. As such, the criteria for an increased evaluation are not met.,The Veteran's right knee strain has also been evaluated as moderate in severity, with flexion limited to 120 degrees. As such, the criteria for an increased evaluation are not met.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left knee condition is dismissed.,An initial 20 percent rating, prior to February 9, 2017, and a 40 percent rating, effective from February 9, 2017, are granted for chronic mild DJD and DDD of the lumbar spine. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.,A 30 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations have been denied. The right knee tendonitis claim is denied prior to December 19, 2016. The left and right total knee replacement claims are both denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient information in a previous opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability. The claim will be reviewed again with a new VA opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations due to the possibility of worsening of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lower back condition and right knee condition have been granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition is pending, as it has been remanded.

The Board has ordered remand for the Veteran's left knee disability claim due to incomplete STRs and an inadequate examination. The case is being returned for further development, including obtaining missing STRs from his service period and arranging for a new VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for sarcoidosis, left knee disability, and acquired psychiatric disability. However, these claims are still pending as they have been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has decided that the service connection for a right knee disability needs further examination and evaluation, as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on whether the Veteran's current right knee disability is related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbago, hip and knee conditions, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from September 16, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee residuals and arthritis prior to August 17, 2015 were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing impairment is at least as likely as not related to his military service. Service connection for a left knee disability was denied due to lack of evidence supporting its onset during service.

The Veteran's service did not qualify him for higher Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) education benefits due to his discharge from active duty not being due to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been rated at 20 percent since February 3, 2006. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, low back, left knee, right knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his service.,Service connection was also denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent due to degenerative arthritis, but the evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion and instability do not warrant such.