Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorder and knee disorders. The Veteran is not eligible for VA benefits because of a fraudulent enlistment during his second period of service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for groin injury due to new evidence submitted. However, further development is needed as a remand on both the groin and bilateral knee issues is ordered.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for annual clothing allowances for right and left knee braces because the evidence did not show that his knee braces wore out or tore his clothing, despite service-connected right knee disabilities.

This decision grants service connection for tinnitus and a painful left-hand stab wound dorsum scar, but denies service connection for bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, and foot disabilities. The Veteran's right hip disability is remanded for further review under the theory of secondary service connection.,reasoning for denial of service connection for bilateral hearing loss: There is no evidence of current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left knee, back, and neck disabilities have been denied. The Board has remanded the cases to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee degenerative joint diseases due to insufficient examination findings regarding functional loss during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and OSA have been reopened, but the claims for back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension remain denied.,Service connection has been granted for depressive disorder as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral knee arthroplasties, and urinary incontinence are all granted service connection. The effective date for the tinnitus is April 26, 2019, while the effective dates for the left and right knee total arthroplasties and urinary incontinence as secondary to nonpsychotic organic brain syndrome with anxiety neurosis and depressive features are both November 24, 2014.,The Veteran's nonpsychotic organic brain syndrome is granted a 50 percent rating effective from November 24, 2014. The effective date for the increased rating claim was not earlier than this date.

The Board has remanded both issues: one regarding an earlier effective date for the assignment of separate 10% ratings, and another regarding whether there was clear and unmistakable error in a January 2013 rating decision. The Veteran's bilateral knee arthritis is service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records, as well as the Veteran's testimony indicating that his left knee strain has worsened since his last VA examination.

The Veteran's left and right wrist symptoms are attributed to his service-connected fibromyalgia. The Board finds that the weight of evidence is against the Veteran’s claim for a separate diagnosis of a left and right wrist disorder other than fibromyalgia.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability, but denied the individual claims for carpal tunnel syndrome and back condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and information from Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, with degenerative changes.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his right knee chondromalacia was denied. The Board also remanded the issue of an increased rating for his service-connected TBI from October 23, 2008 to May 11, 2017.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings, initial compensable ratings, and service connection due to insufficient evidence or procedural issues. The Veteran's right knee disability remains at a 10% rating, his scar is not rated higher than noncompensable, and his bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, earlier effective date for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia, and effective dates prior to February 23, 1999 for basic eligibility for dependents educational assistance (DEA) and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities (TDIU) are being remanded.,The Veteran's claims for extraschedular ratings for esophagitis and gastritis and lumbar spine disability are also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and hypertension as there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation from service.