Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records. The issues of rating left foot cold injury, right foot cold injury, right thumb osteoarthritis, and knee disabilities remain pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete service records and inadequate VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee and/or foot disabilities. The rating for residuals of a fracture of the femur with DJD of the left knee is increased to 30 percent effective October 15, 2019.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left knee disorders have been granted at a minimum of 10 percent each, effective September 1, 2009. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on flare-ups or additional functional loss.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to lack of use of insulin or hospitalizations.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA regulations.,The Veteran has been granted service connection for tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea. The Board remanded these issues as there are questions about their onset in service.,Service connection was established for hypertension, left knee disability, right knee disability, skin fungus (tinea pedis), and skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma).,The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) is not yet service connected.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for left elbow, right knee, and left knee conditions due to inadequate examination reports in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the case due to an unresolved CUE claim and will consider the effective date of service connection for bilateral knee disability once the CUE claim is resolved.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and headaches secondary to hypertension, but denied service connection for other conditions due to lack of evidence or causal relationship.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than March 27, 2018 for service connection of various conditions. The Veteran was previously denied service connection due to dishonorable discharge from active duty.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective December 10, 2018. The claims for service connection of various conditions are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a separate rating for right leg shin splints as they are already captured by his current rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, helicobacter-associated pyloric ulcer, right knee, and left knee conditions are not properly adjudicated based on the current evidence of record. The VA examinations were deemed inadequate to determine whether these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings of his left knee disability and scarring. The maximum rating for left knee instability is 30 percent, with a separate 10 percent rating for painful motion. A compensable rating for left knee scarring prior to December 30, 2019, and a 10 percent rating thereafter were denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and need for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left fifth finger osteoarthritis, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are granted. The Board found that the current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus and bilateral knee arthritis were granted, while her claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The appeal is mixed as some issues are granted and others are not.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left shoulder, right elbow, left elbow, right wrist, left wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome), right hip, left hip, right knee, and bilateral hearing loss. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all available records from the Veteran’s National Guard service, particularly those from 2014 through his retirement in March 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees due to new evidence submitted since the last denial. The Veteran's testimony indicates that his knee disabilities may be related to active service, but VA examinations did not provide etiological opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his lumbar spine, cervical spine, and left knee conditions. The issues are also inextricably intertwined with the claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran is granted a 20 percent rating for chronic left ankle strain, right knee patellar tendonitis, retropatellar pain syndrome of the left knee, and left knee dislocated semilunar cartilage as of May 24, 2017.