Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee disability and right peroneal nerve injury due to insufficient evidence of current severity.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disorders, headache disorder, right ear hearing loss, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS (rhegulopathy), left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left ear hearing loss have all been denied. The Board found no current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability, post-TKA, is rated at 60 percent effective December 1, 2017. The right knee arthritis remains rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right knee is currently rated at 10 percent, and his fixed valgus deformity of the right knee does not warrant a compensable rating. Both conditions are considered to be directly related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a back disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. The claim for service connection for anxiety is denied as there is no separate diagnosis from PTSD. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also denied because it did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder and right knee disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is also being asked to provide his vocational rehabilitation records.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims for compensable ratings for post-surgical scars of the left foot, right leg, and right knee can be properly adjudicated. Specifically, a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of these scars.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further development, including obtaining medical records from the Utah State Prison and providing a new opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, amoebic dysentery, skin disability, and migraine headaches due to incomplete records and lack of VA examinations. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents in service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, which includes prosthetic replacement and partial meniscectomy, has been rated at 60 percent since December 1, 2015. The Board found that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of the condition.

The Veteran's right knee disability, as manifest by recurrent subluxation, had not undergone sustained improvement. The RO reduced the 30 percent evaluation to noncompensable effective February 1, 2015, but restored it to 30 percent effective February 1, 2015, to February 27, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hip condition and a left knee condition, finding no current disability related to the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's death was not caused by service-connected conditions, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Thailand. The claim for accrued benefits is denied because the Veteran had no pending claims at the time of his death. The cause of death (cardiopulmonary arrest due to age, underlying cardiac disease, and coronary artery disease) was not caused by service-connected conditions or presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left leg disability is granted.,Service connection is denied for GERD and skin disorder as they are not related to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's lumbar spine strain, but an increased rating is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and left knee disability due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disorder is not related to his service and therefore denied service connection. The claim was reopened due to new evidence showing a current diagnosis of bilateral knee disorders.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, including arthritis in various joints and limbs, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, and right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain STRs and VA examinations regarding his diabetes, left arm/elbow disorder, and hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for updated VA examination and treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee and bilateral flat feet as additional evidence was submitted without a waiver of AOJ consideration.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, right knee disability, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, fungal infections of the feet, migraine headaches, and a disability manifested by insomnia. The decision states that there is no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents during service and thus no presumption applies.