Knee decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his residuals of a right anterior fibulotalar ligament rupture, finding no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and left ankle disabilities due to conflicting medical evidence regarding current diagnoses.

The Veteran's left knee strain has been granted an initial 10 percent rating, effective November 27, 2011.,A separate initial 10 percent rating for instability of the left knee is also granted, effective November 27, 2011.,An initial 10 percent rating for the left ankle sprain is granted, effective November 27, 2011.

The Veteran's right knee post-total replacement was rated at 30 percent from September 1, 2017. The Board found no evidence of intermediate degrees of weakness, pain or limitation of motion warranting a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the August 2019 decision dismissing the appeals for service connection for bilateral hip arthritis and bilateral knee arthritis contained an error, denying due process to the Appellant. The case is being remanded for further review.

The Board has denied service connection for various disabilities, including left ankle disability, residuals of cold injuries to the lower extremities, and right hip, low back, and right ankle disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his service-connected left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for either knee.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities, right knee disability, shin splints of the lower extremities, and low back disability. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also granted as new and relevant evidence was submitted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of left knee replacement is denied. The current rating of 30 percent has been determined to be appropriate based on the evidence provided.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and an effective date of February 3, 2004, was granted for the TDIU.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left hip disorder, left ankle disorder, and left foot disorder. The claims are pending before the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Veteran's ratings for lumbar spine DJD and status post left knee meniscus with traumatic arthritis were reduced, but the Board found that actual improvement in function was not shown. The Veteran is also remanded for additional opinions regarding his hypertension and right foot disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left knee disability is dismissed as the benefit has already been granted.,Entitlement to a rating higher than 20 percent prior to April 1, 2019, and higher than 30 percent as of April 1, 2019, for bilateral eye pterygium is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete VA treatment records. The Veteran's disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability, are being reviewed again.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding secondary service connection and aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee patellofemoral syndrome, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, and headache disorder due to incomplete examinations and lack of clarity regarding certain issues.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction was remanded, and his TDIU claim is also being remanded.,Further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's erectile dysfunction and whether it is related to service or his use of prescribed psychotropic medications.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for limitation of extension in the right knee, but denied a higher rating for instability. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus, type II is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.,Service connection for an eye disorder including glaucoma and cataracts is denied because the conditions are not shown to be related to service. The earliest documented diagnosis was 9 years after separation from service.,The Veteran's claim for a bilateral shoulder disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The only mention in STRs were for pseudofolliculitis barbae, not shoulder issues.,Service connection for a left knee disorder is denied because the Veteran did not have any complaints or treatment for this condition during service and has no current diagnosis.,The claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae is denied as there was no mention of this condition in STRs and no current evidence of a disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee strain with instability as secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his service-connected disability.