Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his left and right ankle disabilities, as well as his requests to increase his ratings for his left and right knee disabilities. The appeal regarding service connection for a cervical spine disability was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection for a left knee and left foot disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, lumbar spine, groin pain, and foot disorders due to incomplete records and the need for further medical examinations.

Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disturbances is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right and left knee osteoarthritis as they were not adequately addressed in the previous August 2017 VA examination. The Veteran is to be provided a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his knee conditions, including range of motion loss due to pain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and a left knee disability due to insufficient evidence regarding the stressor allegations and the etiology of his left knee condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further medical examinations and evaluations. The issues of increased initial ratings, flu residuals, allergic rhinitis, right shoulder sprain residuals, lumbar spine strain residuals, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left ankle sprain residuals, and left knee degenerative arthritis are also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, endometriosis, and increased rating for a painful cesarean scar were dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawals of her appeals. The appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a painful cesarean scar was also dismissed.,The claim for service connection for bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) with degenerative wear was reopened and granted, while the claim for OSA was granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of left knee degenerative joint disease was denied as there is no legal basis by which an earlier effective date can be assigned.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various spinal and knee disorders, as well as a shoulder disorder, all claimed as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus. The remand requires obtaining additional medical records and scheduling an examination by an appropriate examiner.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he has a Master of Business Administration degree and previous work experience in an insurance business. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not show his disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back disorder, right knee disorder, and migraine headaches due to a lack of competent medical evidence to adjudicate these claims. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any disorders.

The Board has denied service connection for right lower extremity, low back, and left knee disabilities due to the lack of evidence showing current disabilities. The claim for a right elbow disability is remanded as no VA examination or opinion regarding its etiology was provided.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of PTSD. The claims are being remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability and an initial compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are currently evaluated as 20-percent disabling. The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted an initial 10 percent rating for the Veteran's right knee scar, but remanded other issues including a higher rating for her right knee disorder and service connection for her right shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has granted this rating. Additional development will be required to determine if a higher rating can be provided.

The Veteran's left total knee replacement and its residuals are rated at a 60 percent since November 1, 2011. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU.