Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, low back condition with sciatica, neck condition, adjustment disorder, and Raynaud’s syndrome. Service connection is denied for cellulitis, left knee condition, left hip condition, and right knee injury.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his right knee condition.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including anxiety, hip and knee disabilities, and hypothyroidism, have rendered her in need of regular aid and attendance due to her functional impairments. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has restored the 20 percent rating for the service-connected lumbosacral strain (back disability) effective from June 10, 2015. The initial and increased ratings for the left knee and left ankle disabilities remain denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder DJD, left knee osteoarthritis, and lumbar spine disability are all presumed to have been incurred during his active service.

The Veteran's request for increased ratings for her left and right knee disabilities has been granted, with the exception of a rating in excess of 20% for limitation of flexion due to right knee status post arthroscopy. The restoration of 20% evaluations for both knees is effective as of January 24, 2020.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus remains at a maximum schedular rating of 10%. A 20% rating for diabetes mellitus type II is granted from July 7, 2010 to November 21, 2011; and a 40% rating is granted from November 21, 2011. The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and bilateral knee disability are remanded. An increased rating for PTSD and cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus type II is also remanded.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for a headache disorder has been granted at 50 percent. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for left and right knee chondromalacia.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for PTSD, migraines, and a left knee disability have been dismissed. The case is remanded for further development regarding the left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition and a low back condition, both of which are secondary to his service-connected left ankle condition. The case is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's GERD and bilateral knee disabilities are not rated higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's tension headaches do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,New evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection of right hip and left hip disabilities, but these claims have not been substantiated.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of abdominal aortic aneurysm and renal mass, as well as his claims for higher ratings on several other disabilities. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that more development is needed to determine if the Veteran's low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities are related to his military service. The claims for these conditions are being remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings for varicose veins, vasomotor rhinitis, right shoulder impingement syndrome, degenerative arthritis of the right knee, and degenerative arthritis of the left knee are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar strain, left knee disability, right knee disability, and radiculopathy of the lower extremities due to inadequate examinations and incomplete opinions. The issues include determining appropriate evaluations, service connection, and whether the disabilities are related to military service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 10 percent prior to February 13, 2014 and at 20 percent from February 13, 2014 to May 4, 2015. Since May 5, 2015, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent and his right knee and left knee disabilities are both rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is at least as likely as not related to multiple in-service traumas, and service connection for left knee arthritis is granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left knee condition, including any strain, sprain, or meniscal tear, may be related to service and is secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine disability. However, due to incomplete records and insufficient medical opinions, the case must be returned for further investigation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence linking his current right knee condition to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, psychiatric disorder (including depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder), and PTSD is granted. The claims are based on aggravation of pre-existing conditions during military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left knee painful motion and right knee patellar tendonitis and chondromalacia were denied. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for symptomatic right knee meniscal repair from November 1, 2011 to March 7, 2019, and a 10 percent rating was granted for right knee weakness and atrophy starting July 26, 2013.