Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the TDIU claim must be remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for diabetes, left knee disability, left foot disability, OSA, and chronic obesity have been granted based on the receipt of new and material evidence. The appeals are remanded for further development in several areas.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings due to insufficient evidence, including a lack of VA examinations in some cases.

The Board has remanded the claims for a low back disability and degenerative joint disease of the left knee due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than June 20, 2013, for the grant of service connection for depressive disorder and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus are denied. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's left knee strain, allergic rhinitis, psoriasis, and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been reopened, and the Board has granted a separate 20 percent rating for left knee cartilage impairment. The issues of service connection for low back disability, right ankle disability, psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), and TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, as well as a review of his coronary artery disease. The current ratings for these conditions are not contested.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is granted. The Board also remanded the issues of increased ratings for right knee degenerative joint disease and left knee chondromalacia patella.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal due to inadequate range of motion testing in previous VA examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to assess his right knee and back disabilities, as well as his headaches.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or link to service.

The Board has decided that there are issues with the initial evaluations for bilateral knee Osgood-Schlatter with patellar tendonitis and has ordered a remand to obtain authorization for private treatment records and schedule another VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for increased evaluations related to right knee arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine before a decision was made.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection of a right knee disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

This decision denies service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% since January 3, 2013.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back injury, but has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left total knee replacement is being remanded due to the addition of new medical evidence and the need to review outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee torn meniscus, left and right knee osteoarthritis with limitation of flexion, and degenerative joint disease with limitation of flexion have been denied. The highest schedular rating available under the applicable diagnostic codes is already assigned.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support higher evaluations for his left knee disability, arthritis with limitation of motion, or hemorrhoids. The Veteran was granted TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, but has remanded them for further development to clarify periods of active service and obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain missing service treatment records and military personnel records, as well as VA examinations to address the etiology of her claimed left knee condition and bilateral shin splints.