Knee Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee strain, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between his current condition and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee disorders are not manifested by ankylosis or flexion limited to 30 degrees, and the preponderance of evidence shows that their disabilities do not meet criteria for ratings in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as the rating for right knee instability and limitation of motion. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease has been rated at 10 percent, and the right knee tendonitis/tendinosis with prosthetic knee has been rated at 30 percent. The Board has found these ratings to be inadequate and remanded for further development.,The Veteran is seeking increased ratings for his service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease and right knee tendonitis/tendinosis with prosthetic knee, status post revision surgery.

The Board has decided to remand several issues for further development, including service connection claims and a rating increase claim. The Veteran's right knee disability, hypertension, IBS, ED, OSA, and vision loss disability are all being reviewed due to the need for additional medical opinions or examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities due to a lack of diagnosis in service records, but with current symptomatology. Further development is needed to determine if there is any functional impairment caused by reported pain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities, along with pseudofolliculitis barbae, do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board dismissed the appeals due to the death of the appellant, as they have no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims at this time.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to outstanding records, including SSA and private treatment records. The Veteran's right and left knee chondromalacia patella ratings are also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral eye disability has been withdrawn and is dismissed.,Service connection granted for tinnitus, with the condition onset in service.,Service connection denied for left knee strain as it did not onset in service and is not causally related to his service.,Remanded for further examination and opinion regarding obstructive sleep apnea.,Remanded for further examination and opinion regarding an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder).,Remanded for further examination and opinion regarding a bilateral hearing loss disability.,Remanded for further examination and opinion regarding a lumbar spine disability.,Remanded for new VA examination to assess the nature and severity of functional diarrhea since January 2016.,Remanded for new VA examination to evaluate the nature and severity of residuals of left shoulder dislocation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including a referral to the Director of Compensation Services for extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral eye, knee, lumbosacral spine, cervical spine, right ankle, and left ankle conditions. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The claim for service connection for right knee postoperative torn meniscus with osteoarthritis is reopened, and the case is remanded for further development. The Veteran's back disability, left ear hearing loss, and hypertension are also being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including persistent depressive disorder, degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, and bilateral knee conditions, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability for treatment purposes only under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 17, finding a continuity of symptomatology since the in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for left knee DJD, based on limitation of motion, was denied by the Board. The disability is currently rated at 10 percent under Code 5003-5260.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of gynecological disorder, left hip disorder, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for his service-connected left knee patellar tendonitis is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations conducted in July 2012 and April 2016. The Board requests a new VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the condition, including functional loss during flare-ups and with repeated use over time.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues are being remanded.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but the claim for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.