Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities were granted service connection effective October 16, 2014. He was assigned a noncompensable rating for the right knee disability based on limitation of flexion from that date until October 12, 2017, when he received a 20 percent rating for instability and a 30 percent rating for extension.

The Veteran's previously denied service connection claims for left hip, right hip, and left knee disorders have been reopened. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder disability but denied service connection for a left knee disability. The right shoulder disability is related to an injury sustained during the Veteran's honorable period of active duty service, while the left knee disability is not related to his honorable period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left ankle degenerative arthritis, and right ankle degenerative arthritis are being remanded for further evaluation due to a worsening of symptoms since the last VA examination.

The Veteran's cervical spine and left carpal tunnel disabilities were dismissed due to the RO granting them in full. The right ear hearing loss disability, actinic keratosis (skin condition), acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD), right shoulder and knee disabilities, sleep apnea, hernia, GERD, and TBI have been denied. Service connection for hypertension has also been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right elbow disability. The remaining claims for cervical spine, left great toe, left knee, and PTSD disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's bilateral hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The issues include determining appropriate disability ratings for these conditions and evaluating whether a reduction in the rating for left ankle disability from 30% to 10% was proper.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and remanded the claims of increased ratings for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's right knee and lumbar spine disabilities, as the previous VA examinations did not comply with the requirements in Sharp v. Shulkin.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeals for restoration of ratings for degenerative joint disease and extension of the left knee. As a result, the Board has dismissed these appeals.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as a helpless child of his father due to lack of evidence showing permanent incapacity for self-support prior to age 18, despite his current disabilities and condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for IBS, left knee disorder, left ankle disorder, hypertension, and migraine headaches. The issues have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has found that a new VA examination is needed to comply with the Court's decision in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016). The current examinations do not meet these specifications.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right knee disability was denied. The original rating of 20% prior to July 12, 2016 and the current rating of 30% from September 1, 2017 forward were both denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, lumbosacral strain, and various joint and hearing conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. A TDIU rating is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, particularly his back disability and left knee condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees was denied as there is no medical nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability and psychiatric disability, with the latter being remanded due to confusion regarding notification of a scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence related to the unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims. The claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae was reopened, but not granted as new and material evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has remanded them for further development and examination.