Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, and it is granted.

The Board found no evidence of a current left knee disability during or within one year after service, and the March 2011 VA examiner opined that there is no nexus between any such disability and active duty service.,Similarly, the Board determined that there was no current right knee disability during or within one year after service, and the March 2011 VA examiner concluded that there is no nexus between any such disability and active duty service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination, including for a VA examination regarding his hypertension.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, including DJD and degenerative arthritis, are related to his active service due to continuity of symptomatology. The Veteran has consistently reported experiencing chronic knee pain during and since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck, right leg, and right knee conditions are not service-connected as they were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed the case due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for an orthopedic examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the Veteran with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any right knee disorder. The issues include evaluating bipolar disorder, service connection for a right knee disorder, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disorder did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty, including an acute left knee sprain that resolved without residuals.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10% prior to July 13, 2015 and increased to 20% from that date. The claims for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and bilateral cataracts were denied as there is no evidence of service connection or secondary relationship.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current left knee condition and his military service. The effective date and initial rating claims are also pending.

The Veteran's chronic mechanical low back syndrome was caused by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a right foot disorder and knee disorders, were denied as the evidence did not establish that these conditions are related to his active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria.

The Board denied increased initial evaluations for the Veteran's left knee flexion and extension, finding that his disability did not warrant ratings higher than 10 percent and 20 percent respectively.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not related to his military service and has denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, knee disability, low back disability, and lower leg disability due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, left hip, and left foot disabilities due to a lack of evidence demonstrating a present disability or in-service incurrence.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims, including an increased rating claim for his left knee disability and issues related to bilateral pes planus, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical spine disability, and lumbar strain. The case will be remanded for further examination and consideration.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for DJD of the lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.,The claim for right lower extremity radiculopathy was also denied.