Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition and remanded it for further development. The claims of entitlement to higher ratings for left knee disability, as well as secondary service connection for psychiatric disabilities are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including tuberculosis, left hand disability, right leg nerve damage, right knee disability, colon cancer, liver lesions, and kidney lesions have been denied. The Board found no evidence of active tuberculosis during or after service, and did not find that any other condition was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim to reopen the service connection for tinnitus was granted. The reduction of his right knee disability evaluation from 30% to 10% was upheld.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities due to new evidence received since the last Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's appeal for a temporary total rating based on surgery necessitating convalescence for his service-connected left knee disability prior to November 22, 2016 is denied as the date of hospital admission was November 22, 2016 and he did not have immobilization by cast before that date.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right knee disability is not service-connected, and a remand is required to obtain additional medical opinions and potentially obtain private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the issues of whether the reduction in the rating for postoperative right knee condition, from 20 percent to 0 percent, effective June 1, 2011, was proper and entitlement to a higher rating for the Veteran’s service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral knee condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chondromalacia of the right knee was dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for a left leg and knee disorder, right knee disorder, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), left arm carpal tunnel syndrome, and sleep disorder.,An initial disability rating of 30 percent was granted for right ulnar nerve compression.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent for chondromalacia patella, with a separate 30 percent rating for severe recurrent subluxation.,Service connection has been granted for headaches and reopened claims for left knee and left ankle conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are being reviewed to determine if they are related to service.

The Veteran's left knee condition, which includes residuals from a meniscectomy and total knee arthroplasty, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not show chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness.,For his right hip replacement, the Veteran was previously assigned a 50% rating effective June 1, 2013. The Board determined that there were no additional symptoms warranting a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, low back, and prostate cancer disabilities. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and determine if there is a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and examination, including obtaining treatment records and conducting medical examinations to determine the severity of his renal disease and any arthritis diagnoses. The Veteran will be provided a new Supplemental Statement of the Case if benefits remain denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment for the entire appeal period, warranting a TDIU.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected fracture right tibia and fibula with mild knee disability, finding that his symptomatology did not warrant an increase beyond the current 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's request for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left wrist disability is denied.,The Veteran's request for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability limited flexion is denied. However, he is granted a separate rating of 20 percent disabling for residuals of the left knee disability (instability) from September 10, 2018 onward.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's right knee condition to her service. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the current condition and any in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and left shoulder disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran must be provided with a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.