Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral ankle disorder due to new evidence received since the April 2009 denial. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted, but the back and right knee disability secondary to left knee disability are remanded for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right knee, and right foot disabilities as well as tinnitus. The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of assigned percentages for his bilateral knee disabilities and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) due to inadequate statements of reasons or bases.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's right femur fracture with residual knee pain, effective from the date of his claim.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the Veteran's claimed disabilities and his service, specifically due to environmental exposures. The appeal will be remanded for further development.

The Board has found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not related to his service and denied his claim. The increased rating claims for DJD of the right knee and left knee are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of prescription medications purchased in Pakistan is denied because the medications are not used for a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for recurrent lumbar strain, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and migraine headaches have been denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 10% for recurrent lumbar strain since November 2009, with a 30% rating granted since April 29, 2014 for his migraines.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions as the evidence did not support a current disability or a link to service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied as there is no evidence of a factually ascertainable increase in disability during the year preceding May 23, 2007.

The case is being remanded due to non-compliance with previous Board directives regarding the Veteran's left knee disability, specifically for a VA examination and opinion on the severity of his service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded two issues: entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee condition and entitlement to an increased rating for calluses of the feet. The case is being returned for additional development, including obtaining medical addendum opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's knee conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee condition, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability related to his in-service injury and noting that the Veteran did not meet the one-year presumptive period for arthritis.

The Board has determined that a VA examination and medical opinion are needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current left knee disorder, as well as an additional VA medical opinion is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss. The AOJ should obtain all outstanding records and conduct these examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right knee conditions are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.,The Veteran's low back condition is not service-connected as there is no medical evidence linking the condition to his military service.

Your headaches have been rated at 50 percent since April 1, 2012. This is the maximum rating available for your condition.,Your PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since April 1, 2012.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left knee disability, both secondary to his service-connected right knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for his service-connected left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome due to a lack of proper range of motion testing in the VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee degenerative joint disease due to insufficient evidence regarding functional loss and lack of updated VA treatment records.