Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's left knee arthritis is secondary to his service-connected right knee strain with arthritis. The claim is being remanded for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, chloracne, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to lack of in-service disease or injury and no nexus to service.,No new evidence was provided to reopen the claim for chloracne. The Veteran's current diagnosis is not presumed to be caused by herbicide agent exposure.

Your claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability has been granted, effective May 5, 2015. The full benefit sought was already provided.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition has been granted service connection. The right ear hearing loss claim was also granted.,Service connection for left hip, left knee injury, and right knee injury claims were denied.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and inadequate attempts to obtain private medical records. The Veteran's left knee disability is also being examined as part of this process.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a right elbow disability, neck disability, and right knee condition due to potential association with combat injuries. The Veteran is asked to provide medical records and undergo an examination to determine if his current disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's service connection for hearing loss is denied as there is no in-service event or injury that can be causally connected to the current diagnosis.,The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and a higher rating is not granted due to lack of additional limitation of motion following repetitive use testing.,New evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection for low back disability.

The Veteran's TMJ with disc displacement of the left side of the jaw was rated at 10 percent, and denied an increased rating.,Service connection for a vascular nerve injury of the left hand, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and extremities, low back disability, GERD, right hip disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, sleep disorder, bilateral shin disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability were all denied.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome, asthma (claimed as respiratory disorder/chest pain), scoliosis and degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine, right hip narrowing with associated pain, left knee medial compartment narrowing suggestive of degenerative change, and plantar fasciitis are all granted service connection. The Veteran's right eye disorder, irritated throat, and right cubital tunnel syndrome are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee replacement, back disability, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left knee strain, and hypertension, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that additional development is required to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities as well as GERD. The VA examinations were not conducted in accordance with the May 2018 Board remand directives.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with left knee instability and tear, and granted a separate rating for instability from July 12, 2017.

The Veteran's knee braces, wrist splints, and shoe inserts do not qualify for an annual clothing allowance as they are considered 'softgood orthotic[s]' that do not tend to wear or tear clothing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied, and no effective date earlier than August 6, 2013 has been granted.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for bilateral bunions and left ear hearing loss have been denied. The VA has ordered remand for further examinations to assess the severity of his hemorrhoids, right knee strain, cervical spine disability, and thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claims for a left knee condition, right knee arthritis, diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), and heart disability as there was insufficient evidence of an in-service incurrence or secondary to his service-connected lumbar spondylosis and discogenic disease.,No new and material evidence has been received to reopen any of the previously denied claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee strain, fibromyalgia (due to an undiagnosed illness), chronic fatigue syndrome (due to an undiagnosed illness), and respiratory disorder (due to an undiagnosed illness) have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension has been denied a compensable rating. The remaining claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's allergies began during active service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issues of service connection for bilateral knee disability and bilateral foot disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.