Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a bilateral knee disorder due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease. The evidence did not support a finding that the current knee or back conditions were incurred in or caused by service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for residuals of right infraorbital and right temple shrapnel wounds, a right arm shrapnel wound, a right buttock shrapnel wound, and a right leg shrapnel wound have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hand disability other than left hand scars, to include arthritis; right knee disability, to include arthritis; back disability; and bilateral neurological disability of the lower extremities, to include sciatica are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's status post right calcaneal fracture, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected right ankle disability. The other issues on appeal are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to service. The Board found that the Veteran does not have chronic disabilities of the left shoulder, right knee, or salivary gland.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and cervical spine disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for service connection of neck, right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine and recurrent peptic ulcer disease, have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased rating, service connection, and reopening of a claim related to various conditions. The Board dismissed the appeals as a result.

The appeal of the denial of the claim for service connection for a right knee disorder is dismissed.,The appeal of the denial of the claim for service connection for seasonal allergies is dismissed.,Service connection for lumbar disc disease with multiple disc protrusions is granted.,The appeal of the denial of the claim for service connection for ingrown toenails is remanded.,The appeal of the denial of the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, including medial meniscus tears with osteoarthritis, were evaluated at a 10% rating. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings due to lack of ankylosis or significant instability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for knee and wrist disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the relationship between his in-service injuries and current conditions. The claims are also being returned for further development of his Panama City VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back, left hip, and right knee conditions due to outstanding private treatment records.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted service connection, but his bilateral hearing loss and low back disability are denied.,The Board has remanded the claims for tinnitus and low back disability to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension, bilateral elbow disorder (to include arthritis), bilateral knee disorder (to include arthritis), bilateral hand disorder (to include arthritis), and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's lay statements suggest these conditions may be related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Capital Regional Medical Center due to a mild bleeding condition, finding that it did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from the October 2017 examiner to address whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral flat feet with plantar fasciitis caused or aggravated his right knee and left knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities, finding that they are related to her in-service training injury resulting in severe tendinitis.

The Veteran's right knee instability is rated at 20% prior to July 3, 2014 and at 30% thereafter. Since July 3, 2014, he has also been rated for arthritis of the right knee with a separate rating of 10%. The appeal is granted.