Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his PTSD, traumatic amputation of the right middle finger, chronic fatigue syndrome, and various musculoskeletal conditions. The Board has determined that further examination is needed for all these claims due to the lack of recent examinations addressing current severity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back pain and left knee conditions were denied in a March 1996 rating decision. The effective date of the grant of service connection is November 7, 2013, which was the date he submitted an informal claim to reopen his previously denied claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete consent forms and insufficient medical opinion regarding causation of additional disabilities. The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is being reviewed with a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% for the period prior to January 20, 2015 and his right knee disability is remanded. The Veteran's PTSD remains at a 50% rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal and psychiatric conditions due to incomplete verification of a claimed stressor, need for additional medical opinions, and potential need for new private treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for the period prior to April 1, 2019 or thereafter.

The Board has granted the reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back condition. The claims for bilateral foot, left knee, and right knee conditions are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence of worsening left knee symptoms and failure to conduct a compliant VA examination. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating is now pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee condition and PTSD due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. Additional evidence is needed, including VA treatment records, and a new examination by an appropriate clinician will be scheduled.

The Veteran's knee and ankle disabilities have worsened since the last VA examinations, and new evidence is needed to determine appropriate disability ratings.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for left knee disability and limitation of motion was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his range of motion, even after considering additional functional impairment.

Service connection for patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right and left knees, as well as carpal tunnel syndrome of the left hand, has been granted.,The Veteran's service connection claims have been successfully reopened and are now being considered on their merits.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's residuals of a rupture of the right hamstring muscle, finding that his current condition is aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability claims are being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected left knee chondromalacia and internal derangement disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic neck pain resulting in functional limitation, degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, and degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees. The claims were reopened due to new medical evidence received since the August 2004 rating decision.

The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to April 16, 2014 for the award of service connection for DJD of the cervical spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, residual scar from GSW of the back, and mild interphalangeal osteoarthritis of the left fifth finger.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back, left knee, and right knee disabilities have been reopened. The appeal for an increased rating for PTSD has been dismissed. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is denied as he does not require regular aid and assistance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection for left ear and right ear hearing loss disabilities, as well as the compensable rating for those disabilities. The application to reopen claims for residuals of cold weather injury, left shoulder disability, and left knee disability have been granted. Service connection is established for these conditions on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus.