Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including a low back disorder, left and right knee disorders, sleep disorder, and psychiatric disorder. The claims are being reviewed due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions have been denied. The claim for tinnitus was granted with a 10% rating, but the effective date is prior to July 18, 2016.,Other claims for service connection or increased ratings were either not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence or denied outright.

The reduction from a 50% to a 10% disability rating for right knee strain with limitation of motion was proper due to improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's right achilles tendon disability and hypertension are denied initial compensable ratings.,The Veteran's cervical spondylosis with left upper extremity radiculopathy, sciatica, lumbosacral strain, left knee patellar tendonitis (left knee disability), and chronic cough not related to asthma or seasonal allergic rhinitis (chronic cough) are remanded for further review.,The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spondylosis with left upper extremity radiculopathy, sciatica, lumbosacral strain, left knee patellar tendonitis (left knee disability), and chronic cough not related to asthma or seasonal allergic rhinitis (chronic cough) are remanded.

The appeal for TDIU is dismissed due to the Veteran's already having a 100% schedular evaluation. The cases of evaluating left knee disabilities, including instability and limitation of extension, are remanded as additional examinations are needed. An effective date prior to August 24, 2012, for service connection on arthritis and limitation of flexion is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a right knee disability and has not had one at any time during or recent to the filing of the claim. The Board also found that the Veteran's post-service medical records only document frequent complaints of left knee problems and pain, with no specific mention of right knee issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and he is now granted service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), a headache disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, diabetes mellitus, retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's claims for other conditions are denied.

The Veteran's left knee DJD has been rated at 10% since April 17, 2012. The disability is currently manifested by limited extension to 10 degrees and pain, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder, back, and bilateral knee disabilities are granted. The claim for dry eye disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence for some issues, including service connection for a bilateral foot condition.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no evidence of a compensable disability.,There is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for left hip disability. The Veteran does not have current left or right hip disability, nor do post-service treatment records indicate such disabilities.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable and the Board finds no evidence of a compensable disability.,Service connection for PTSD has been denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for PTSD.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including bipolar disorder, depression, and insomnia, has been denied as there is insufficient evidence to link these conditions to service or any other service-connected disability.,The Veteran's left knee disability has also been denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's bilateral knee pain, ankle pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome were not shown to have begun during service or be related to in-service injury or disease.,Hypercholesterolemia is a laboratory finding without underlying disability. The claim for this condition is denied.,Hypertension was not shown within the first post-service year and there is no evidence of its onset during service. The claim is denied.,Dyspnea (shortness of breath) was not shown within the first post-service year and there is no evidence of its onset during service. The claim is denied.,The Veteran's heart disabilities were not shown to have begun during service or be related to in-service injury or disease. The claims are denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his claims.

A 20 percent rating for left knee meniscal tear (previously rated as residuals of a mid-shaft fracture of the left tibia) is granted from March 9, 2009. The issues of entitlement to service connection for other disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining additional medical records. The Veteran's right leg disability is being evaluated again with an updated evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings and TDIU due to his service-connected knee disabilities. Additional evidence is needed, including updated VA treatment records and a comprehensive examination of the Veteran’s knees.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a left hand disorder and an effective date prior to June 7, 2010, for a scar as a PO residual of a total right knee replacement were dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his claims.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus is dismissed.,The Veteran's back problems are being remanded for further evaluation and opinion.,The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded for further evaluation and opinion.,The Veteran's bilateral hallux valgus is being remanded for further evaluation and opinion.,The Veteran's pterygium, bilateral eyes, to include as due to exposure to herbicide agents, is being remanded for further evaluation and opinion.,The Veteran's hemorrhoids are being remanded for further evaluation and opinion.,The Veteran's GERD (also claimed as acid reflux) is being remanded for further evaluation and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck, low back, left knee, and syncope and orthostasis disabilities due to lack of sufficient evidence on whether these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date earlier than September 24, 2012 for right knee DJD and thoracolumbar spine DDD with sciatica were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support earlier effective dates as there was no formal or informal claim received prior to September 24, 2012.