Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence since the last supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and radiculopathy of the lower extremities due to insufficient medical evidence. The VA is directed to obtain updated treatment records and provide a VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

Service connection is granted for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss based on in-service noise exposure.,Service connection is granted for chest pain, head injury, knee pain, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), headaches (due to treatment for PFB), hypertension, and dizziness secondary to service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his left shoulder bursitis and tendonitis, as well as his left and right knee degenerative joint diseases are being remanded due to insufficient examination reports.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The Veteran's claim was not supported by medical evidence linking the disabilities to his active service.,The Board also denied service connection for a left foot disability. Again, there was no competent medical evidence showing a link between the current disability and service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 10 percent, and his left knee disability is rated at 20 percent. The appeal for increased ratings remains denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral knee condition and vertigo due to duty-to-assist errors, including missing STRs and incomplete verification of active duty training periods. The Veteran will need VA examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain missing service records and attempt to corroborate the Veteran's reported in-service stressors.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not show that either knee disability warranted a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for multilevel degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, neck condition, right knee disability, and residuals of a staph infection due to lack of evidence showing in-service injury or disease.,Service connection was not granted as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that the conditions pre-existed service or were aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his bilateral knee conditions and service connection for low back disability and wrist disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hand disorder, gout, heart disorder, knee disorder, sinusitis, kidney disorder, and tourette syndrome. The appeals were either not pursued or new evidence was submitted that did not relate to the original reasons for denial.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and reopening of service connection claims were denied. The rating for tinnitus was found to be at the maximum allowable, asthma was rated appropriately based on PFT results, and new evidence did not support reopening of claims for recurrent ear infections or breast augmentation. Service connection for left knee disorder, low back disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and left leg disorder were denied due to lack of service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability, low back disability (secondary to ankle), and bilateral knee disability (secondary to ankle) due to incomplete records of treatment. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain his medical records from private providers who have treated him since 1969.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, including residuals of total knee arthroplasty, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including lower back condition, left leg condition, left knee condition, bilateral hips conditions, bilateral ankle conditions, bilateral foot conditions, anxiety, depression, COPD, headaches, and loss of right kidney are denied.,Right knee and right leg conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the left calf donor site scar is dismissed as it became final with the July 1991 rating decision.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for two deep, non-linear right lower extremity scars and a superficial right lower extremity scar are denied as there was no prior communication indicating an intent to file such claims.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the 30 percent rating for right knee laxity associated with GSW residuals is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen previously denied claims for service connection of DDD of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee injury, and right knee injury. The petition to reopen the claim for asthma was also denied as no new and material evidence was presented.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus due to his withdrawal. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities has been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The claim for a nervous condition is also being remanded.