Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further development, including obtaining an MRI or arthroscopy of the Veteran's left knee and assessing the current nature and degree of severity of his service-connected chronic left knee strain.

The Veteran's service connection claims for scalp scar, left knee strain with osteoarthritis, and tension headaches are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disorders, as well as the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date prior to February 21, 2015 for the grant of PTSD. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current knee conditions or PTSD to service.

The Board has determined that additional examination is necessary to fully assess the Veteran's report of intermittent left shoulder pain since his last period of active service and to determine the nature and etiology of any left knee disability. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a low back injury and left knee condition due to missing or destroyed service treatment records, and insufficient competent medical evidence on file. A VA examination is required.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection of bilateral knee disability, residuals of carbon monoxide poisoning, obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen any of these claims.

The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is not properly rated, and the Board finds that remand is warranted to obtain updated VA treatment records and schedule an examination to assess the current severity of the condition.

The Veteran's right knee brace caused wear and tear on his clothing in 2015, allowing him to receive a clothing allowance for that year.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including disruption of the ACL and meniscal tear, is rated at 20 percent since September 28, 2010. The rating includes ankylosis associated with the condition from February 28, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for left knee internal derangement, status post reconstruction for a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus due to inadequate examination reports and need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an increased evaluation for right knee disability is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's left knee disorder and right hip disorder have been granted service connection.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disorder has not been established.

The Board has decided to remand three issues: service connection for plantar fasciitis of the left foot, increased rating for limited right knee flexion, and increased rating for chondromalacia of the right patella. The AOJ must issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) that considers additional VA records submitted since the issuance of the statements of the case.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a medically-unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, was granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss disability, lumbar strain (claimed as back tendonitis), left ankle strain (claimed as tendonitis), bilateral hip strain (claimed as tendonitis), and left knee strain (claimed as left knee tendonitis) with degenerative joint disease of the right knee were also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected heart condition, knee condition, and PTSD prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder was rated at 30 percent from May 18, 2011 to June 26, 2014. The Board denied a higher rating for this period. For the right knee PFS issue, the case is remanded as further examination is needed.

The Veteran's hypertension was noted on his entrance examination and did not increase in severity during service. The Board finds the medical opinion of record to be more probative than the Veteran’s lay assertions regarding the etiology and severity of his hypertension.,An addendum opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing skin condition existed prior to service, was aggravated by service, or is related to in-service symptomatology.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his right knee instability associated with arthritis is remanded due to the need for a new examination to assess current severity.