Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been withdrawn by the Veteran through his authorized representative.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee joint pain, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness is remanded due to the need for a clarifying addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's knee condition.

The Veteran's initial rating for right hand strain, status post fracture third and fourth fingers, remains at 10 percent. The Board found no evidence of a gap between the thumb pad and the fingers with the thumb attempting to oppose them.,Service connection was denied for lumbar spine disorder due to lack of in-service occurrence or chronicity since separation from service.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for left knee meniscal tear and osteoarthritis, and service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine (claimed as a back condition). The VA must obtain additional medical opinions to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left knee is being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The case will be readjudicated with consideration of the June 2019 and October 2019 VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's lumbar strain and her service-connected right knee condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and remanded the issue of entitlement to a higher initial rating on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from December 4, 2010, to August 8, 2017. Ratings for right and left knee disabilities were granted at 10 percent each from December 4, 2010, to November 15, 2016.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral knee disability, skin disability (eczema), residuals of a head injury, tinnitus, and loss of teeth, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence did not show continuity of symptoms since service and there was no medical nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as benign liver hemangioma and Hepatitis C. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not shown to be related to his active duty service.,Service connection was denied because the evidence did not establish a nexus between the Veteran’s current conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral knee disability, finding no evidence to support a relationship between his current condition and his active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disorder and cervical spine disorder due to outstanding VA treatment records and need for clarification on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection of various musculoskeletal disabilities, including bilateral foot, right and left ankle, and low back conditions. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to insufficient evidence in some areas, particularly regarding lung condition and low back disability. The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions are not granted at this time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.,The Veteran's service-connected chronic left and right knee strain (Chronic Left Knee Strain) is currently rated at 10 percent, which also does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's 10 percent rating for left knee patellofemoral syndrome was restored from May 30, 2017. The case is remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral knee conditions and back condition, service connection for skin cancer, and TDIU due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for right, left hip disabilities and a left knee disability to obtain additional VA examinations and medical opinions. The issues are still pending as they have not been decided on their merits yet.