Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development.,Specifically, the right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome claim is being returned to the RO for additional consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence, including a need for VA medical opinions regarding the onset and relationship of his disabilities to service.

The Veteran's claim for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and there is evidence of an in-service injury, as well as a causal relationship between the current disability and the in-service disease or injury. The Veteran's claim for right knee condition and headaches are remanded due to insufficient development.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, back disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral foot disability, rhinitis, bronchitis, asthma, heart disability, prostate cancer, and urinary incontinence. The reasons are that the Veteran failed to report to scheduled VA examinations for these disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for additional development, including obtaining her employment history and determining if she qualifies for a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis due to the combined effects of her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for scars or instability, but granted an effective date of January 18, 2013, for a separate 20 percent rating for scars.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of July 29, 2009. Therefore, a TDIU is granted effective from that date.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been granted increased ratings for limitation of extension, flexion, and recurrent instability / subluxation / dislocation. The current effective date is not specified.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder, lumbar spine strain, leg length discrepancy, neck disorder, and shoulder disorders due to insufficient evidence or further development is needed.

Your claims for service connection have been dismissed as you opted to proceed with the modernized review system.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and development are needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's knee disabilities, as the current examination reports do not include all necessary findings for joint testing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorder, cervical spine disorder, and hand tremors due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disability is granted as service-connected. The Veteran's gout, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, left wrist disability, and athlete’s foot are denied.,A new VA examination is required to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present right wrist, left knee, and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and chondromalacia, GERD, PTSD with alcohol use disorder, fracture of the left distal fibula and tibia, and bowel incontinence is granted. An effective date prior to September 27, 2006 for PTSD with alcohol use disorder is denied. A rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder from December 12, 2013 through May 19, 2017 is denied. An earlier effective date for SMC based on housebound status prior to May 19, 2017 is also denied.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a link to active service. The Veteran's prostate cancer, impotency, urinary continence, and residuals of fractured left knee are also remanded for further development.,Service connection for prostate cancer, impotency (secondary to prostate cancer), urinary continence (secondary to prostate cancer), and residuals of fractured left knee (including arthritis) is remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lumbosacral epidural abscess, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, and bilateral hearing loss were incurred during active duty service or active duty for training. The Board remanded to obtain additional records and conduct further medical opinions.

The Veteran's left knee instability due to torn ACL is restored to a 10% rating effective September 1, 2018. The ratings for coronary artery disease and degenerative joint disease of the right ankle are granted with effective dates of May 20, 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is etiologically related to his time in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has ordered the remand of cases involving higher staged ratings for left knee disorders and a TDIU determination due to inadequate development in previous decisions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or any link to service.