Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate examinations and requests for additional information.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, knee disability, and degenerative arthritis of the right great toe (claimed as right foot big toe) due to lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease.,New evidence received since previous decisions did not change the outcome.

The Board has determined that new examinations are necessary to evaluate the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including her right elbow condition, left knee condition, bilateral ankle conditions, TBI (head trauma), bilateral wrist ulnar neuritis, and migraines. The Veteran is also asked to provide any relevant private treatment records or other evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral knee disability as new and material evidence was not submitted, despite the submission of lay statements, private VA medical records, and additional VA medical treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and kidney stones due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to a failure to substantially comply with previous directives.

The appeal for service connection for a bilateral knee disability is dismissed.,Service connection for COPD and prostate cancer are denied as the preponderance of evidence does not support a link to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD with associated panic attacks and depression is granted at a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date his claim was received by VA. The other service-connected disabilities have their ratings either denied or unchanged.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The decision also noted that the Veteran was granted a TDIU from December 2, 2011 to March 5, 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for a left knee disability and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to inadequate examinations in previous decisions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip, knee, and ankle conditions are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The effective date of service connection remains unresolved as the claim was not received within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's asthma and panic disorder with agoraphobia features have been denied increased ratings.,Right knee DJD, right shoulder rotator cuff tendinopathy, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease require further review due to the need for additional evidence or examination.

The petition to reopen the appeal for entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The petition to reopen the appeal for entitlement to service connection for right knee pain is reopened and the claim for service connection for right knee pain is denied.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for vision loss was dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal.,Service connection for hypertension is granted based on a presumption of service connection due to its association with active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip disorder, left knee disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye disability has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PFB has been reopened but not granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disability, including instability and patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and headache disorder due to inadequate VA opinions based on time since service separation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for patellofemoral syndrome of the bilateral knees, finding that his condition clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service and did not worsen beyond its natural progression during service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, low back disability, and sleep apnea on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.