Knee decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of an in-service event, disease, or injury that could be linked to the claimed conditions. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a right knee disability, left knee disability, shin splints of either leg, cervical spine disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis of the wrists and hands, or sinus disability due to asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the Veteran with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any current knee, lung, heart, and neuropathy disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain service records and determine the relationship between his current skin, right knee, and cardiac disabilities with his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting left knee condition was aggravated by his active duty service, and thus service connection is granted for posttraumatic degenerative arthritis of the left knee.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. His TDIU claim will also be adjudicated.

The Board has remanded the case due to unavailability of service treatment records and other necessary development is required before a final decision can be made on the Veteran's claims for right knee condition and back condition.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings was denied. The right knee disability is rated at 20 percent from February 13, 2012 to November 30, 2014; 30 percent from December 1, 2014 to September 2, 2015; and 60 percent thereafter. The left middle finger disability is rated at 20 percent. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of right ear hearing loss, left knee disability, or right knee disability for VA purposes. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the knees, and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background. The Board grants a TDIU.

The Board found no current diagnosis of a left knee condition and denied service connection for hypertension due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The Veteran's hypertension was not considered a presumptive disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service event, injury, or disease that would support the claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for right hip and leg numbness and pain, now claimed as pain in right side of the body. The preponderance of evidence shows that his current diagnoses are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, and bilateral knee disorder. The diagnoses were not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and another evaluation to determine if he should receive an increased rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a right knee injury is REMANDED due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and considering new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection has been dismissed as the claims have been granted by the AMC.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability, warranting a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining emergency room records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability.