Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a right knee and back disability as additional development is needed before a decision can be made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for left and right knee DJD, as the analysis regarding Diagnostic Code 5259 was inadequate in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's representative requested additional records, and a VA examination in September 2015 was inadequate.

This decision dismisses appeals for various effective dates related to service connection, disability ratings, and the propriety of evaluations. The Veteran's claims are dismissed as he withdrew them prior to a Board decision.,The reduction in the rating for lumbosacral strain with osteoarthritis from 40 percent to 10 percent is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee osteoarthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus due to inadequate examinations and lack of sufficient detail in the medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his current hearing loss is related to military noise exposure.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 23, 2014, for a temporary 100% increase in rating for right knee status post meniscectomy has been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that he was hospitalized before this date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees due to inadequate examination findings.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability and GERD, but granted service connection for a heart disability. The decision did not address the claim of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's sarcoidosis is granted service connection, and her back, left knee, right knee, and right shoulder disabilities are denied. The heart disability and left shoulder disability claims are also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient examination reports and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right knee disorder, left ankle disorder and hysterectomy have been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence has been received so the previously denied claims are reopened. However, further development is needed as the nature and etiology of these conditions need to be determined.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left knee osteoarthritis due to a lack of probative value in the private medical opinion provided by Dr. T.B., who opined that the Veteran's current osteoarthritis was related to his Navy service, including walking on steel decks and ladders over 27 years.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lower back disability, and bilateral knee disabilities. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for nerve damage, left ankle condition, and bilateral knee disorders due to his service-connected right ankle condition. The appeals are not about service connection at all.

The Board found that the reduction from a 20 percent rating to a 10 percent rating for degenerative joint disease of the left knee was proper due to improvement in limitation of extension, and denied the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for left and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records, a new examination, and consideration of the new evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to noise exposure during active service. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s sleep apnea is related to service or proximately due to his service-connected PTSD. The issues of acid reflux, alopecia, diverticulitis, migraines, athlete’s foot of the right foot, athlete’s foot of the left foot, back disability, bilateral hearing loss, chronic bronchitis, hemorrhoids, right foot heel spur, left foot heel spur, right knee disability, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and pseudofolliculitis barbae are remanded for further examination and consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of chronic disease in service or within the applicable presumptive period. The Board also found that continuity of symptomatology was not established and that the current right knee disorders were not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and sleep apnea, as these conditions may be related to his service-connected right knee disabilities. The VA will need to provide further examinations to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's current conditions and his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the basic percentage requirements for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16 (a). The Board has referred the claim to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for an initial determination on whether the Veteran’s service connected disabilities warrant an extraschedular TDIU rating.