Knee Board decisions

Service connection for depression, substance abuse, and sleep disorder has been dismissed.,Service connection for cardiovascular disorder is denied.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities remains pending and will be remanded for further evaluation.,Service connection for right hip disability to include as secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain remains pending and will be remanded for further evaluation.,Service connection for left hip disability to include as secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain remains pending and will be remanded for further evaluation.,Service connection for knee joint pain to include as due to an undiagnosed illness remains pending and will be remanded for further evaluation.,Service connection for respiratory disorder to include as due to an undiagnosed illness remains pending and will be remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disability, acute lumbar strain and degenerative disc disease, and bilateral upper and lower back teeth due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service stressors and continuity of symptomology will be considered.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA with the Massachusetts Army National Guard. The Veteran will be provided a VA examination to determine the etiology of his right knee disability.

The Board denied a TDIU for the period prior to April 16, 2012, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral knee disabilities was denied as no claim to reopen the issue was received prior to March 29, 2011.

The Board has granted an extension of the temporary 100 percent rating for convalescence after left knee surgery and restored the Veteran's original 30 percent rating for his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen his claim of service connection for a left knee disability is granted. The appeal to reopen his claim of service connection for a left foot disability is denied. His claims for service connection for a left ankle disability and prostate cancer are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issues of patellofemoral syndrome and bursitis, left knee, and vertigo (secondary to hypertension).

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of service-connected PTSD, TBI, left wrist condition, left knee condition, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations are also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD has been established, and the appeal for service connection of recurrent lumbar spine disorder, recurrent right knee disorder, and right neck scar is remanded due to lack of VA examinations addressing these claims.

The Veteran's right hip and right knee disabilities are granted as service-connected.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for digestive system disability including GERD with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been remanded due to the issue being intertwined with a separate claim regarding residuals of TBI with dizziness.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disability and for increased ratings for his lumbar spine degenerative arthropathy have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for herniated nucleus pulposus has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show ankylosis or unfavorable ankylosis, and thus no higher rating is warranted.,Service connection for liver disorder was denied as there was no indication of any in-service event, injury, or disease related to this condition.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are currently rated at 10% each, but the Board finds that there is no evidence to support a higher rating based on functional loss or other criteria.

The Veteran's increased ratings requests for his ankle, knee, and shoulder disabilities have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The current 20 percent ratings for right ankle and left knee disabilities are upheld, while the rating for right knee disability is maintained at 30 percent. Right shoulder dislocations remain rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, bilateral knee pain, and bilateral ankle pain. The claims of service connection for fibromyalgia, bilateral knee pain, and bilateral ankle pain are remanded.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for scar, left elbow ulnar nerve repositioning is denied. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left shoulder bursitis, left knee strain, and right knee strain.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a below-knee amputation of the right leg due to VA treatment directing the cessation of Plavix was denied as there is no evidence that discontinuance of Plavix caused the amputation.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision. As a result, the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of reopening his left knee disability and established service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to aggravation during service.