Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection for major depressive disorder was granted. Additionally, his left knee arthralgia and instability were increased to a 40 percent rating effective October 7, 2019.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for right knee and left knee arthritis as the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and service connection have been dismissed.,The Board has remanded several issues including those related to the Veteran's knees, ankles, feet, lumbar spine, and headaches.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing VA and private treatment records and scheduling an updated VA examination to determine the current severity of his conditions.

The Board denied reopening of claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right hip, low back, right shoulder, left wrist tumor, bilateral knee conditions, and inguinal hernia disabilities. The evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee pain and left and right knee pain have been reopened. The claim for increased rating for fibromyalgia has been granted, with a maximum of 40 percent assigned. The claim for increased rating for lumbar spine disability has also been granted, with a maximum of 40 percent assigned. The claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculitis have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and a rating increase due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the origins of his kidney disorder and right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeals for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, knee disabilities, macular degeneration, hypertension, aortic blood vessel aneurism, vertigo, COPD, and congestive heart failure, have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The appeal is now moot.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for instability of the right knee, and remanded other issues including ratings for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees, residuals of total knee replacements, DDD of the thoracolumbar spine, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a PTSD rating is denied as there were no pending claims prior to the October 5, 2016 application.,A TDIU rating is granted effective October 5, 2016 based on the Veteran's service-connected PTSD disability.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as his right ear has Level II hearing and left ear has Level I hearing.,Service connection for a left ankle condition is remanded due to lack of evidence in the record.,Service connection for a bilateral knee condition is also remanded due to lack of evidence in the record.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right-hand burn residuals, as well as their impact on his occupational and daily functioning. The claims are not about service connection but rather about rating determinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability is granted. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of his initial rating decision (August 21, 2015). TDIU is granted for the entire appeal period. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and lumbar strain are remanded, as are migraine headaches.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical strain, left elbow ulnar neuropathy, right knee flexion, and right wrist synovitis have been denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as it was shown to be related to service. The Veteran's tinnitus is also granted, with the opinion that it began during active service.,Service connection for left knee tendonitis and obstructive sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD) are denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective from May 9, 2013. Service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease (neck) are granted. The Veteran's TDIU claim and service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral shoulder, knee, and foot disorders due to additional service treatment records being obtained. The examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion addressing these records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claims for service connection for right-knee disorder and left-knee disorder, but has remanded the cases for further development. The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD is also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of chronic disability related to his in-service bursitis and noting that the preponderance of the evidence did not meet the one-year requirement after separation from service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted as service-connected. The right, low back, and left foot disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral flat feet and left heel spur are service-connected, as is fibromatosis of the hips, knees, ankles, and feet. The claim for asthma secondary to allergic rhinitis is also granted.