Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain medical opinions regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability secondary to left knee disability, as well as the rating of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims of service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back disorders. The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his current disability status.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for bilateral hearing loss and a painful scar are withdrawn. The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder is reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of bilateral patellofemoral syndrome related to his military service.

The Veteran's right total knee replacement surgery was performed in August 2012 and recovery was completed by November 2012. The claim for a temporary total evaluation based on the need for convalescence following this surgery is denied as it occurred prior to the effective date of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected, with the Board finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. The knee disorder issue is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), and back disorder were evaluated. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating for any of these conditions and remanded several issues including service connection for a left knee disorder, individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU), and service connection for a back disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability, left wrist disability, and left ankle disability due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable prior to December 7, 2011. The Board is remanding the case for referral to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of entitlement to a TDIU under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) prior to December 7, 2011.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder and left knee disorder, but has remanded all issues related to service connection due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's knee instability and pain have worsened, necessitating a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities were evaluated, with the left knee rated at 20% and the right knee rated at 10%. The appeals for higher ratings were denied as there was no evidence of additional disability not already compensated.

The Board denied service connection for herpes simplex virus type II due to lack of evidence of a current disability and no in-service incurrence. The cases for right knee patellofemoral syndrome and allergic rhinitis are remanded as the Veteran's representative asserted that their severity has increased since the last VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper back condition, left knee injury, left toe condition (claimed as left great toe infection), bilateral eye condition (claimed as bilateral eye irritation), chest condition (claimed as chest pain), and anemia.,Additionally, the Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle condition and hypertension.

The Board has granted a 100 percent evaluation for the right knee from August 1, 2017 through December 31, 2018. The claims for increased evaluations of the left knee and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the Veteran's pain is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The rating assigned remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the disability ratings for posttraumatic osteoarthritis, right ankle with shin splints and tibial exostosis, and right knee osteoarthritis. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral shoulder DJD with right shoulder rotator cuff tear and left knee arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,The claim for lumbosacral spine status post laminectomy for herniated nucleus pulposus was also denied as there was no new and material evidence to reopen it.

The Veteran's chondromalacia of the left knee was evaluated at a 10% rating since August 27, 2014. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in his disability rating beyond this level.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected degenerative changes of the right knee is being remanded to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 17, 2008 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied. The Board found that there is no basis for assigning an earlier effective date as the denial in the December 2006 final rating decision precludes such a determination.