Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete STRs and outstanding VA treatment records. The issues include right hip disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral foot disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, but has remanded it due to insufficient evidence. The issues of increased rating and reduction have also been remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and a bilateral knee disorder, finding that the Veteran's disorders were not incurred in or related to his military service. The TDIU claim was also denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for right and left knee disabilities, as well as a mood disorder, have been withdrawn.,Issues regarding service connection for back, neck, and hip disorders are being remanded for further examination and analysis.,The claim for service connection for TBI is also being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches is being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with his other claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The right leg and left knee issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's knee and back conditions are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds no evidence to warrant an increased rating. The appeal for service connection of sleep apnea is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's right leg and knee condition claim was denied in June 2010. The appellant attempted to file a notice of disagreement (NOD) but it was rejected due to lack of proper authorization. The case is remanded as the claims file is incomplete, including missing evidence from the June 2010 rating decision and correspondence between the appellant and VA.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his hip, knee, and cervical spine disabilities.

Service connection for lumbar spine disability and left knee disability is granted as new and material evidence has been received.,Service connection for left shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and sleep apnea are denied. Service connection for acquired psychiatric disability is granted.,A rating more than 20 percent for a right shoulder disability is denied, as well as a rating more than 10 percent for right knee disability and tinnitus. A compensable rating for hemorrhoids is denied, and a rating more than 30 percent for herpes is denied.,TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected right fifth metacarpal fracture, status-post ORIF with osteomyelitis, is currently rated as noncompensably disabling. The Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted due to the lack of limitation of motion or active infection.,The Veteran's service-connected left knee reconstruction is currently rated as noncompensably disabling. The Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted due to the absence of recurrent instability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for further development or clarification of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as PTSD, have been granted. The claim for TDIU is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates due to the need for additional examinations. The Veteran is currently service-connected for inguinal hernia, back disability, right knee limitation of extension, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right upper lip scar, and right forearm scars.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his left knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to July 25, 2017 and from July 25, 2017.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for a TBI and initial ratings for various musculoskeletal conditions. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood is rated at 70 percent. Initial ratings for his shoulder strains, wrist tendonitis, little finger strain, lumbar degenerative joint disease, knee patellofemoral syndrome, left ankle strain, right ankle strain, and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability and secondary service connection for his right knee disability, finding that both conditions were aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated based on limitation of motion and instability. The Board has remanded the case for further examination to determine current status following surgery and temporary total evaluation period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis status post right knee replacement is denied as there was no in-service injury, disease or event related to the right knee. The symptoms of arthritis were not chronic in service and did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent for limitation of flexion, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board found that her flexion was limited to at worst 60 degrees with pain during flare-ups.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his use of a fentanyl patch prescribed for his service-connected disabilities was related to his death from fentanyl toxicity. The appeal is based on direct service connection and not due to any presumption or new evidence.