Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to service-connected conditions, including asthma and depressive disorder. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection or increased ratings were denied. The right knee disability claim was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence, while the left hip, bilateral foot, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, neck, and headache disabilities were all denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability. The cases of entitlement to service connection for right knee and left knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding functional loss during flare-ups for the right knee condition. The claim for service connection and TDIU rating is pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are reasonably shown to be of such nature and severity as to prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability is granted, but the case is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his current condition.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arthritis of the right and left knees are granted as his current diagnoses align with his reported in-service injuries.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and a low back disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's claims of a right knee disability, head injury residuals (including TBI), and back disability (scoliosis).,The VA examiner’s rationale was inadequate to adjudicate the Veteran's claims. The Veteran must be afforded another VA examination to determine whether his current conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including headaches, low back disability, knee and shin disabilities, stomach/digestive issues, radiculopathy, and a psychiatric condition are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence on file. The Veteran is presumed sound upon entry into service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, chest disability, left lower extremity sciatic nerve disability, and bilateral knee disability. The appeals are remanded due to the need for further development and examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disorders, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, cervical spine disorder, bilateral renal cysts, prostatitis/benign prostatic hypertrophy with hematuria (BPH) have all been denied as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service onset or direct causation.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee condition, finding that the Veteran's current condition is more likely due to post-service events and obesity. The claim was not reopened as new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral shoulder, knee, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's representative did not respond to the RO’s request for additional information.,Service connection was also denied for TBI and chronic headache disability as there is no objective evidence supporting their existence or causation in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including major depressive disorder with anxiety features, bilateral shoulder, hand, and knee conditions, neck condition, back condition, sleep condition, and gastrointestinal condition are all denied. The Board found no current diagnoses or evidence of these conditions during the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability and depressive disorder. The lumbar spine, bilateral hip, and bilateral knee disabilities are denied due to lack of evidence linking them to service.

The Board has found that a remand is warranted for new VA examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities and right wrist disability due to evidence of worsening since the last VA examination.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran has a current low back disability, right knee or lower extremity disability, left knee or lower extremity disability, and bilateral foot pes planus. The Veteran's service records do not provide sufficient information for these determinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee condition and bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The Veteran's left ankle condition is remanded for further examination.,Service connection for right knee condition was established based on the evidence showing that the disability began during active service or was otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and records to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities, including left shoulder dislocation, right knee osteoarthritis, lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease, and erectile dysfunction.