Knee decisions — 2018

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.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for his service-connected knee Osgood-Schlatter’s disease and PTSD with mood disorder are being remanded due to the need for updated medical records and examinations.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder strain, instability of his knees, and TDIU. The main reasons for remanding are missing records from the claim file and a need for new examinations due to Correia v. McDonald (2016).

Right knee anterior horn of medial meniscus tear with associated patellar chondromalacia and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been granted service connection.,The Veteran's right knee and left knee disabilities are considered to be directly related to his military service.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, but this is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD is granted.,Ratings in excess of 10 percent are remanded for patellofemoral syndrome of both knees and hypertension.,Ratings in excess of 20 percent are remanded for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and radiculopathy of both upper extremities.,TDIU is also remanded.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back, right knee, left leg numbness, and right leg numbness conditions. The claims for service connection will be remanded.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, but granted effective dates for left knee meniscectomy with degenerative joint disease and lumbar spine DDD. The initial rating for lumbar spine DDD was also granted.

The Veteran's right knee disability, post-total knee replacement, is rated at 60 percent effective January 13, 2015. A TDIU was granted prior to that date.

The Board has denied service connection for a right knee disability and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence.

The Board has remanded all issues on appeal due to the addition of new VA treatment records and examinations. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also remanded as he was unable to complete an examination due to his hip replacement surgery.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including shin and knee issues, abdominal pain, diarrhea, chest pain, shoulder condition, wrist carpal tunnel syndromes, testicular strain, vision problems, and temporomandibular disorder. The reasons given are that the evidence is insufficient to establish a nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral tinnitus, a psychiatric disorder, right and left knee conditions, and hypertension due to insufficient evidence or lack of opinion regarding their etiology.