Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for left shoulder, left knee, right knee, and bilateral leg conditions are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,Peripheral neuropathy of the feet and legs is also being remanded as there remains a question about whether it exists.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee and right shoulder disorders, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for hypertension is dismissed.,The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder is dismissed.,The appeal concerning entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy is dismissed.,The appeal concerning entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy is dismissed.,The appeal concerning entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left lower extremity femoral radiculopathy is dismissed.,The appeal concerning entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee degenerative joint disease is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for migraine headaches and granted them. The claims for back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability were not reopened.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with depressive disorder. The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective July 11, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to new and material evidence having been received. The claim of PTSD remains denied as there is no credible supporting evidence that a claimed in-service stressor occurred.

The Veteran requested to withdraw all issues currently pending before the Board, including those related to his left knee and right elbow disabilities, as well as a depressive disorder. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination to assess his current employment impact from service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it began during his active service.,Service connection for kidney stones and a pilonidal cyst were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right knee disability and TDIU are being remanded due to lack of compliance with previous remand instructions. An updated examination is needed, and the claim for TDIU should be properly developed.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee disability was denied. The appeal regarding the temporary total rating based on convalescence following his November 2006 surgery was also denied as it was not timely submitted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right ankle disabilities due to insufficient compliance with previous remand directives, need for further development regarding Saunders v. Wilkie, and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded for a new examination to assess its severity and functional limitations.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right knee conditions have been denied. The initial rating of 10 percent has been upheld, and the claim for a higher rating in excess of 30 percent following knee replacement surgery is also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The right knee disability claim is remanded for further examination and rating.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient rationale in previous decisions and need for clarification of evidence.

The Veteran's initial disability evaluation for internal derangement left knee with meniscal tear is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and testing.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to new evidence suggesting a secondary relationship to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Veteran must be provided with an appropriate VA examination to determine if there is a direct or secondary nexus between his claimed knee disabilities and either his military service or his service-connected lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability was denied. The claims for increases in the ratings assigned for right ankle ligament strain, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee retropatellar pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis, and mallet little finger, right hand are remanded.