Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded four issues: service connection for PTSD, evaluation in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain, evaluation in excess of 10 percent for left knee disability, and evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hypertension. The Veteran is to be provided with VA examinations to assess the current severity of his disabilities and determine their etiology.

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities as of April 16, 2012.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for an upper back disability, lumbar spine disability, left knee and foot disabilities, right Achilles tendonitis, and bilateral hand disabilities. The remand requires additional medical opinions on whether these conditions are related to in-service motor vehicle accidents or other inservice events.

The Veteran's claims for left wrist disorder, petition to reopen right wrist pain, and asthma rating are dismissed. The lower back and right shoulder disorders' service connection petitions are reopened.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability other than pseudofolliculitis barbae, low back disability, bilateral wrist disabilities (including carpal tunnel syndrome), and right knee disability due to lack of evidence supporting these claims. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of right hip hemiarthroplasty as secondary to his service-connected bilateral status post total knee replacement, finding that the evidence did not support the Veteran's contention that his knee disabilities were responsible for his inability to regain balance and prevent him from stopping a fall.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee degenerative joint disease, finding that there is credible evidence of continuity of symptoms since service. The appeal for service connection for joint pain was dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of his bilateral knee conditions and male infertility need further examination to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including his stroke residuals and knee disabilities, have left him in need of regular aid and attendance. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his right knee disability, as well as the current severity of his left knee disability post-TKA and lumbar strain. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with other issues on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative changes of the left and right knees have been rated based on limitation of motion. The knee instability has also been separately evaluated.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent effective June 5, 2018. The Board granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as service connected. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including MDD and PTSD, is reopened due to new evidence received since the last denial. The claim for service connection for strep throat is remanded. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is rated at 20 percent, and he has been granted a separate rating for residuals of meniscus repair. The appeal regarding secondary service connection for hip and lower back conditions is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee strain. The issues of service connection for seizures, left temporal lobe disorder, memory loss, and vision problems are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chondromalacia of the right knee and lumbar strain are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, chronic bronchitis, and a psychiatric disability were denied in January 2004. The effective date for the award of service connection is set at January 7, 2013.,The Veteran's claims for initial ratings higher than 20 percent for his ankle sprains and major depressive disorder with anxious distress are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are granted, with an initial rating of 70 percent for major depressive disorder. Service connection is also granted for bilateral pes planus and limitation of extension right knee and patellar dystrophic calcification right knee. The claim for lower extremity restless leg syndrome is denied due to lack of current diagnosis. The Veteran's claim for residuals of pneumonia, alternatively claimed as a lung disability, is reopened.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to insufficient reasoning in previous decisions and the need for new medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions due to incomplete examinations and lack of entrance examination prior to the Veteran's second period of active duty.