Knee Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew all remaining issues associated with his appeal, including those related to surgical scars of a painful left knee, right hip strain, instability of the left knee, and left knee stable joint. As a result, the appeals are dismissed.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and correctly assess the Veteran's claims for lichen simplex chronicus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right knee disability. The decision will be remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, a respiratory condition, and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis due to inadequate examinations and missing records. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral leg limitation is also being remanded.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is rated at 10 percent, effective since November 28, 2007. The Board granted a higher rating for the Veteran's radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve as secondary to his thoracolumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and PTSD have been reopened.,PTSD has been reclassified as an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee strain have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current functional impairment.

The Veteran's right knee disorder has been productive of severe recurrent lateral instability, a disorder of the right knee semilunar cartilage with frequent symptoms of effusion/swelling, 'locking', crepitation, and giving way, and degenerative joint disease with limited extension. The Board granted separate evaluations for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient compliance with previous instructions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 15, 2016 for left knee DJD with limitation of extension was denied. The claim for a separate rating for left knee instability under Diagnostic Code 5257 was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence since the last decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee and traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for DJD of the left knee, chronic sinus infection, and sleep apnea have been reopened. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for BPH with urethritis prior to February 19, 2014 is denied.,Service connection has been granted for DJD of the left knee, chronic sinus infection, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU. The remaining claims for higher ratings on his right and left knee disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including verifying the Veteran's claimed personal assault stressor and obtaining medical opinions regarding his diagnoses and service connection claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not appear at his scheduled VA examinations and requests have been made to reschedule them. The case is being remanded for these examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for stroke is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart pathology (sinus bradycardia) is granted based on new and material evidence.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee DJD are both denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee DJD is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since September 18, 2014. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU have been met and grants the claim.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination, as there is conflicting evidence regarding the existence of knee disabilities and their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for painful joints and acid reflux, finding that the Veteran's DJD is not related to his service and GERD was not caused by in-service events.,The Veteran's current diagnoses of DJD and GERD were found to be unrelated to his military service.