Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, dental disability (loss of teeth), bilateral foot fungal disorder, hypercholesterolemia, skin cancer of the right cheek, psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD), right thumb disability, left knee instability and painful motion (status post ACL repair), and right hip bursitis with strain have all been denied. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been granted service connection, subject to the laws and regulations governing the payment of monetary benefits.,A remand has been ordered for further examination regarding a chronic kidney disability, potentially due to undiagnosed illness during service in the Persian Gulf War.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with the exception of a rating in excess of 20 percent for a residuals of a right shoulder disability. The remaining issues related to secondary service connection have been resolved.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for an increased rating of scars of the pelvis and left knee, which was dismissed by the Board.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting information regarding her period of active duty and reserve status. The veteran is required to provide additional evidence, including personnel records from Camp Lincoln, to verify her service during the specified time frame.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inaccurate finding in a previous VA examination regarding the Veteran's right knee disability and its relation to service. The examiner needs to provide a new opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any right knee disability had its initial onset in service or is otherwise etiologically related to the Veteran’s active service, caused by, or aggravated by a service connected disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee, left knee, and left ankle conditions. The issues include service connection claims for these conditions, as well as increased ratings for scars and a TDIU prior to November 4, 2015.

The Board has found that the Veteran's left knee, low back, and sinus disabilities were not caused by his military service. The claims for these conditions are being remanded to allow for further development of evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates due to new evidence suggesting a material worsening of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities since her last VA examinations in October 2017. The claims are now pending with the appropriate VA examination.

The Veteran's earlier effective dates of July 31, 1983 for the grant of service connection for various conditions have been granted.,Remaining issues related to initial evaluations and service connection are remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated at 30 percent since May 1, 2015. The rating is based on chronic residuals of a prosthetic replacement of the knee joint consisting of severe painful motion or weakness in the affected knee.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection of left and right knee disabilities need further development due to the Veteran's inability to attend a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for PTSD and left knee bursitis, service connection for right knee condition, and TDIU due to additional evidence being added to the record. The Veteran's allegations of unemployability are also part of this appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is being remanded for a new examination to assess its current severity.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorders and hearing loss should be reviewed again due to procedural issues, but has not yet determined a new rating or effective date.

The Veteran's right knee disability, with moderate osteoarthritis, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the cases of left ankle pain, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral hearing loss for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for extra-schedular ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the assigned schedular criteria adequately described his disability picture, with no interference with employment or frequent hospitalization.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history, leading the Board to grant a TDIU as of April 8, 2016.

The Board has remanded the issues of increased evaluations for various service-connected disabilities, including degenerative joint disease and irritable colon syndrome. The Veteran's claims are not currently granted as there is no evidence of ankylosis or other conditions that would warrant higher ratings.