Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and a compensable initial disability rating of 10 percent for hypertension, effective January 24, 2008.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PFB, right and left knee disorders, right and left hip disorders, sinus disorder, and tinnitus. The reasons provided were that there was no evidence of arthritis during service or within one year after discharge, and current diagnoses did not link these conditions to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to inadequate medical opinions and need for additional development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability and lung disability, to include as due to exposure to asbestos. The Board finds that there is a reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran regarding both conditions, leading to their grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for his claimed left shoulder, bilateral knee, and bilateral foot conditions. Therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service for the Veteran's claimed low back, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that any diagnosed conditions are related to active service.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating claim for a left knee scar is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and further development of the evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left knee disability, and a new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to determine the current nature and severity of his right knee, bilateral ankle, and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD with associated Major Depressive Disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment, but her right knee disability was not caused or aggravated by her service-connected left knee and bilateral ankle disabilities.,Service connection for the Veteran's right knee strain is denied as it is less likely than not that the condition was caused or aggravated by her service-connected left knee and bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities were found to meet the criteria for a disability rating of 20 percent prior to August 11, 2015 and before December 7, 2016.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and bilateral knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's right knee disability was found to not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation from May 1, 2014. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also addressed.

The Board has granted service connection for arterial thrombosis, right leg above-the-knee amputation, erectile dysfunction, and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's right foot and right knee disabilities were not incurred in or related to service, thus denying her claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, an initial compensable rating for left knee OCD, and a higher rating for post-operative repair of his right shoulder were all denied by the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's radiculopathy of the left upper extremity is secondary to his service-connected cervical disc disease.,However, the Board found no evidence supporting a finding that the degenerative joint disease of the right knee was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's neck disability, bilateral arm disability, bilateral knee disability (as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability), bilateral foot disability (as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability), obstructive sleep apnea, and GERD. The grants of service connection are based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, including DJD and a meniscus tear, was incurred in service due to an injury sustained during active duty. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.