Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and a need for additional evidence, including recent VA treatment records. The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease claim will be reconsidered based on all available information.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a need for more contemporaneous medical examination of his knee disabilities, as they have worsened since his last VA examination over two years ago.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his left and right ankle conditions, as well as his right knee condition secondary to a service-connected left knee condition.,The Board found no evidence of any current disability related to the Veteran's active service or to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including arthritis, meniscal condition, and instability, has been rated at 10 percent since January 1, 2010. A separate 20 percent rating is granted for the meniscal condition from January 1, 2010 to June 24, 2017; a 20 percent rating is established for instability starting on that date.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, low back disability, left ankle and knee disabilities, bilateral eye disabilities, hemorrhoids, scar, skin disability, and PTSD are remanded due to the need for additional development.,VA examinations were cancelled because the Veteran missed them. The Board finds that medical opinions are needed to address the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is warranted. The case is being remanded for further examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's previously denied claims of service connection for various disabilities, including thoracolumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, pelvic disability, bilateral knee disability, left arm disability, and left foot disability. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, with a separate 10 percent rating for removal of semilunar cartilage. The effective date for the increased shoulder rating is December 28, 2017. The Veteran's right hip condition remains unresolved.

The Board has remanded the claims for herniated lumbar disc with degenerative joint disease, right and left knee degenerative joint disease, and sleep apnea due to inadequate VA medical opinions. Additional opinions are needed as there is evidence of treatment in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, as well as earlier effective dates for radiculopathy in the right and left lower extremities. The Veteran is required to undergo another VA examination and any outstanding VA treatment records are to be obtained.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding treatment records and further medical opinions are needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability did not begin during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for a left knee disability and has also granted service connection for this condition. The Veteran's private orthopedic surgeon provided medical opinions supporting his claim, while VA medical opinions were found to be inadequate.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right knee, lumbar spine, and right hip disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.,A new VA examination was ordered to determine the severity of the Veteran’s right knee disability. However, despite some improvement noted in 2011, his range of motion remained within normal limits and he did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, as well as the need for VA examinations to evaluate the severity of his current residuals.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the evidence is in equipoise and resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied, except that a TDIU was granted effective February 13, 2017.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for clarification of a private medical provider's qualifications and opinions. The Veteran was denied effective dates prior to April 7, 2016, for right knee strain and tinnitus. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also denied. A rating higher than 10 percent for right knee strain is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities do not render him unemployable due to his physical limitations, as he was able to maintain employment as a police officer for over a decade before voluntarily resigning. The Board denied the claim of entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, right hip arthritis, left hip arthritis, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and a depressive disorder), right knee disability, and left knee disability have been granted. The claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities are still pending.