Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, finding that new and material evidence had been received. The Board then granted service connection for these conditions based on a continuity of symptoms since active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and varicose veins of the right lower extremity are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to May 6, 1999, and the evidence does not indicate he was unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions alone for any period.

The Board found that the Veteran's current disabilities of the left ankle, bilateral knees, lung, right shoulder, and right hip are not due to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness. The preponderance of the competent medical evidence is against a finding that these conditions were incurred in service or as secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronic disease during or within one year after service. The Board also found that any current degenerative joint disease is less likely than not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's claims of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the knees and hepatitis C are pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, and psychiatric disability (PTSD) have been denied. The claim for fatigue disorder is also denied.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions due to lack of medical evidence showing a nexus between the current disabilities and either active service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in any of the issues.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated as noncompensable from January 1, 2010 to September 14, 2012 and then increased to 10 percent thereafter. The back disability was initially rated at 10 percent from January 1, 2010 to May 22, 2015 and later increased to 40 percent.,The Veteran's left knee scar has been withdrawn from appeal.

The Veteran's left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical spine DDD, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome with partial ACL tear are found to have their onset in service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disorders are not etiologically related to his active service, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional evidence and conduct a VA examination for the Veteran's left knee condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing VA and military records, scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his diagnosed conditions, and providing him with an opportunity to respond.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated examinations of her service-connected major depressive disorder, left hip disability, and right knee disability. The VA will provide these examinations and then readjudicate her claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for a right knee disorder and has determined that new and material evidence has been received. The Board also found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of right knee osteoarthritis and medial meniscal tear are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and status post total left knee replacement were denied due to lack of a nexus between service and current disability. The claim for IHD was not addressed as it is not part of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and lumbar degenerative disc disease and IVDS, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The other claims were not addressed as they have been narrowed or resolved.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a dental disorder, melanoma of the face, scalp, back, and chest, chronic disability manifested by numbness in the legs, back disorder, and right knee disorder have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during his active duty or within one year thereafter. The Board finds that the Veteran did not sustain any injuries to his teeth or develop a dental condition while on active duty. He also does not have a current diagnosis of melanoma of the face, scalp, back, and chest. His claimed disorders are not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, and neck disability. These conditions are considered to be directly related to the Veteran's military service.