Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has denied service connection for a low back condition and remanded the issues of service connection for right hand, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's low back condition, left knee strain, and right leg disability are all granted service connection. The low back condition is linked to an in-service injury, the left knee strain is secondary to the lumbar condition, and there is no current evidence of a right leg disability.

The Veteran's claims for joint pain, back disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis have all been denied. The claim for allergic rhinosinusitis was previously denied but is being reviewed de novo.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain updated VA treatment records, as well as additional opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions. The issues of increased ratings for right knee instability; arthritis of the right knee; and, right knee scars are being remanded due to a lack of proper SSOC issuance. Service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disability and erectile dysfunction are also being remanded.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, which include right knee replacement with fusion, major depressive disorder, right hip, left hip, and lumbar spine.

The Board has dismissed the issues of propriety of the rating reductions for left and right hip snapping syndrome, as well as remanded several other issues including a TDIU claim. The Veteran's representative withdrew his appeals regarding these issues prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, right shoulder, pes planus, and vision problems due to a lack of authorization from the Veteran for his private medical records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and left ankle disability due to incomplete records retrieval.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.,The Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.,A pre-existing mastoiditis or residuals thereof was not clearly and unmistakably aggravated beyond the natural progression by service, and a current mastoiditis-related condition is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.,At no time during the pendency of the claim does the Veteran have a current disability related to CFS. His symptoms are attributed to known clinical diagnoses.,The Veteran's respiratory symptoms have been attributed to a known clinical diagnosis of chronic bronchitis/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee and hip disabilities, as well as diverticulitis. The decision was based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for depressive disorder with anxiety and a lumbar spine disorder. Service connection was granted for PTSD and right knee disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his right knee disorder and right ankle fracture due to inadequate opinions regarding aggravation of his preexisting conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right knee disability was granted, with an initial rating of 20 percent for instability and a separate rating of 10 percent for limitation of flexion from the meniscal tear. The current ratings are within the scope of the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to inadequate examinations conducted previously.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient consideration of private medical opinions and historical evidence, as well as the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the Appellant's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA). The claim will be reconsidered with proper verification of these periods, along with an additional VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding an increased rating for a cervical spine disability and service connection for a right knee disability due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation and clarification. The VA examiner will assess the etiology of his skin cancer, which is presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied service connection for neck, left knee, right knee, left shoulder, right shoulder, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.