Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder impingement and TMJ dysfunction. The remaining issues are related to elbow, hand, hip, knee disabilities that need further examination.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral-knee disorder due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The claims for pseudofolliculitis barbae and sleep apnea are remanded as there is insufficient current medical evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is granted. The claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees, as well as for bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review, including consideration of an earlier effective date for a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need for further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for right knee strain with degenerative joint disease was denied. The Veteran received a separate 10% rating for right knee instability effective from January 15, 2013. A 20% rating for left knee patellar subluxation was granted from August 17, 2009 to January 15, 2013. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for status post extensor pollicis tendon repair with radial and median sensory and motor deficit was denied.

The Board has denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the bilateral knees and remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and PTSD). The case is being returned to the RO for issuance of a supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability has been reopened and granted. The Board also found that the Veteran's back disability is related to his left knee disability, which was established as direct service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims. The right knee, left knee, low back, and bilateral foot disorders were all found not to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining updated VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's neck, left knee, bilateral shoulder, right knee, and psychiatric disabilities. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient examination findings. The case is now pending further development.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability and L3 to L4, L4 to L5, and L5 to S1 disc protrusion with radiculopathy as secondary to a left knee disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not show a chronic condition related to military service.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for retropatellar pain syndrome of the left knee has been granted, but the maximum schedular rating has not yet been assigned. The Board is remanding the case to address a pending issue regarding a temporary total evaluation based on surgical treatment necessitating convalescence for a left knee arthroscopy in December 2016.

The Veteran's left knee condition is being remanded for a new opinion on whether it is related to her service-connected non-union, right tibial tubercle. Her rating for the non-union, right tibial tubercle is also being remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development, including those related to various joint and musculoskeletal issues as well as tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, lactose intolerance, prostate cancer, and its residuals. The Veteran's service in the Persian Gulf is noted.

The Veteran's claim for a low back disability was reopened and granted, while the claims for left knee disability, chronic fatigue syndrome, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and headaches were denied.,PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to January 4, 2011 for separate 10 percent evaluations for left and right knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to new evidence indicating worsening of his disabilities since the last examinations in December 2010.

The Board has found that an effective date prior to February 26, 2014, for the grant of a 10 percent rating for right knee derangement is not warranted. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and right knee are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.