Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The right knee replacement rating is granted at 60%. The hypertension claim is denied. The left upper anterior chest costochondritis (chest pain) claim is granted with a 10% rating. The PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder claim results in an initial 50% rating and TDIU is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, and diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral hip conditions, and bilateral knee disorders, render him unemployable. The Board granted a TDIU based on these disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection, linked to noise exposure in service.,Service connection for the left knee disability and thoracolumbar spine arthritis are both granted. The TURP residuals are also granted.

The Board has ordered a remand due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for additional evidence. The Veteran's right knee disability is being reviewed again with new examination and information.

Service connection for a neck disability is granted. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted, effective March 9, 2019. The issues of service connection for right and left knee disabilities and increased rating for left foot pes planus with heel spur are remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various disabilities, including a low back disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability, all secondary to residuals of stress fracture of the right third metatarsal. The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to overuse during military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for his right and left knee disorders due to inadequate consideration of his lay statements regarding constant knee pain, as well as the January 2014 VA opinion. The case is being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for lumbar spine disorder, right and left ankle disorders, higher initial ratings for right and left knee disabilities, and a higher initial rating for residuals of a right inguinal hernia due to incomplete or inadequate examination reports.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the Veteran did not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU prior to May 1, 2013.

The Veteran's knee disabilities, including medial collateral ligament instability of the right knee and osteoarthritis of the left knee, are currently rated at 20 percent each. The Board denied increased ratings for these conditions as they do not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings based on limitation of motion or other manifestations.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left knee strain, finding that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between his current condition and his period of active duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hand, hip, foot, knee, and shoulder disabilities as they are not related to his active duty service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection was denied because there is no evidence of any diagnosed condition in service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support finding that these conditions were caused by or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee and lumbar spine disabilities due to a lack of recent VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disorder and granted restoration of the left knee calcification rating from 20% to 10%, effective December 1, 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate examination and need for further development of the Veteran's knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease due to Agent Orange exposure is dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, lumbar strain, and tinnitus are all dismissed as they were granted with a final effective date of December 1, 2015.,The claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy due to Agent Orange exposure is denied because new and material evidence has not been received.

The Veteran's right and left sciatic nerve pain is not service-connected, as it is caused by his nonservice-connected degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The Veteran was employed prior to March 22, 2017, which precludes a TDIU at that time.