Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, right arm disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and chest pain, require further development due to a lack of medical examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and left knee disability, as well as a rating in excess of 10 percent for his residuals of pilonidal cyst surgeries. The Board also denied TDIU.

The Veteran's right knee disability, diagnosed as right total knee replacement, is granted as secondary to service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for protein in urine, hyperlipidemia, frostbite of the left hand, left foot, and right foot have been dismissed. The claim for service connection for hyperlipidemia has been denied as it is not a disability for which VA compensation benefits are payable.,Service connection for frostbite of the right hand was denied. Service connection for left knee disorder, cervical disorder, liver disorder, albumin (as secondary to liver disorder), hypertension, Lyme disease, and gout were all remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being submitted and a need for further examination of the Veteran's right knee disability. The issues of entitlement to separate service connection for a right heel disability, as secondary to service-connected residuals of a right ankle injury, and entitlement to service connection for a hypertension, as due to herbicide exposure are also referred to the AOJ.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to missing records from the Moncrief Army Medical Center. Additionally, an SOC is needed on issues of increased ratings for knee conditions, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and service connection for hammertoes, sleep apnea, toe fungus, sinusitis, rhinitis, hearing loss, tinnitus, fibromyalgia, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, left forearm disability, right shoulder disability, and right forearm disability.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance and conduct with alcohol use disorder from June 29, 2007 to July 24, 2015 was denied. The claims for increased ratings for left knee strain were remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for his service-connected disabilities due to new evidence indicating that his symptoms have worsened since the last VA examinations.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected conditions would have warranted a discharge for disability at the time of his separation from service and whether there is a relationship between his now service-connected PTSD with persistent depressive disorder and the immature personality disorder diagnosed during service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left knee replacement is dismissed.,A 60 percent rating for residuals of left knee replacement after April 1, 2016 is granted. A 10 percent rating for the left knee scar is also granted.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied a rating greater than 10 percent for arthritis of the left knee.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee disorder, which may be related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome of the knees is granted as service connected. The low back and neck disabilities are remanded for further review.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing service treatment records and the need for further medical examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claims are granted for osteoarthritis of the shoulders, knees, OSA, hypertension, CHF, diabetes, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including skin disorders, hearing loss, bladder disorders, heart conditions, kidney diseases, and extremity impairments have been denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions of in-service exposure to toxic substances.

The Veteran's left knee disability is remanded for further evaluation and a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient financial and employment information provided by the Veteran, as well as the need for additional VA examinations. The TDIU claim is still under consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee condition, right knee condition, and obstructive sleep apnea due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The lumbar spine and cervical spine conditions remain under review.

The Veteran's use of her VA-issued right and left knee braces for her service-connected right and left knee osteoarthritis is causing wear or tearing of her clothing, which qualifies her for a clothing allowance in 2016.