Knee decisions — 2018

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease with partial PCL tear is found to be etiologically related to an in-service injury, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee, left femur scar, and left foot osteoarthritis have been denied. The evidence does not support the assignment of higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his right shoulder disability and determine if any right knee condition is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic sinusitis is denied. The Board finds that there is no current diagnosis of a chronic digestive disability.,Service connection is granted for a compulsive eating disorder, as the evidence shows it pre-existed service and was aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a left knee disability, right knee disability, or sleep apnea-hypopnea that began during his active duty service. The Veteran's vertigo and migraines are also denied as they do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, sinusitis, and deviated nasal septum have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities at any time since the date of his claim in November 2011.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for medical opinions regarding right shoulder and knee disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for a low back disability and therefore, service connection cannot be granted. The claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is also denied as there is no evidence of such a condition in the record.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and consideration of his periods of active duty training.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gout of the bilateral knees and ankles are service-connected as they have been shown to be related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, left ankle disorder, left Achilles tendon disorder, and bilateral knee disorders were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between his current conditions and military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the issue of entitlement to an increased disability evaluation in excess of 30 percent for total right knee replacement (previously rated as status post, medial meniscal tear, right knee) from March 1, 2013.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee disability is not service connected, as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service and the medical opinions do not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability is not service connected as it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability. The claim for increased evaluation and TDIU are also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board finds that the evidence is against a finding of current disabilities related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disorder preexisted service and was not aggravated by it. The examiner concluded that there is no evidence of permanent aggravation due to his service-connected right ankle and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected right knee disabilities and to determine if any flare-ups have occurred. The case will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board found that the Veteran's right foot disability existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying service connection for his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal includes a pending claim for service connection of left knee disability and the propriety of reducing his rating for low back strain from 20 to 10 percent. The Board has not addressed the merits of these issues, leaving them in a 'mixed' disposition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development.