Knee decisions — 2018

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection of a back disorder was granted. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s back disorder developed as a result of an in-service fall, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded five issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for a right shoulder disability, bilateral hand disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and mild scoliosis of the thoracolumbar spine. The reasons include the need for additional VA examinations and potentially relevant treatment records.

The Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for various conditions and an increased rating for radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been dismissed. The Board has granted a 20% rating for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, effective from when the decision was made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability (secondary to the claimed right knee disability), and bilateral eye disability due to incomplete development. The claims will be further developed with additional examinations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right tibia fracture, a right knee disability, left knee strain, right hip strain, and left foot conditions. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence of a link between his claimed conditions and service, or that they began in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating for his left knee condition, right hip condition, major depressive disorder, and TDIU are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his right lower extremity radiculopathy and femoral radiculopathy are each rated at 20 percent. The depression rating remains at 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, hip, knee, ankle, shoulder and arm, elbow, wrist, and psychiatric conditions. The issues have been recharacterized to reflect the benefit sought by the Veteran on appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed back, neck, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to lack of in-service incurrence or aggravation and no nexus between current disability and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the specific conditions and disabilities are not specified in the decision summary. The effective dates of any potential grants are not provided.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee and hip disabilities, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's claims have been resolved in her favor.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several service-connected conditions have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation.

The Board has denied separate evaluations for left knee instability and right and left knee muscle injuries. The case is remanded to provide a new VA examination to assess the nature and severity of these conditions during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of VA examinations and insufficient evidence. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations for his claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral flatfoot, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is set at December 30, 2002.

The Veteran's right elbow and left knee disabilities were evaluated under the appropriate diagnostic codes. The Board found that a 10 percent rating was warranted for his right elbow disability prior to February 14, 2011, but denied any higher ratings or initial compensable ratings for his left knee disability.

The Board has reopened the claim for a right knee disability and granted service connection on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's right knee and TDIU claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination. The issues of entitlement to an increased evaluation for his service-connected right knee disability and entitlement to TDIU are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and a 10% rating has been assigned for his left knee disability. The other conditions are remanded.