Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's right knee disability, tinnitus, and lumbosacral strain were granted service connection. The Veteran's hypertension was denied as there is no in-service onset or aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting evidence regarding the etiology of his left knee disability, right foot disability, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. The claims are being returned for further examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hepatitis C, left knee disability, and right knee disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and reviewing additional medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are related to his active service, with particular focus on exposure to herbicides during his time aboard the USS Midway in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no continuity of symptoms after service. The Board concluded that arthritis may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left hip condition, lower back condition (abnormal gait), and left knee condition. The Board found that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and a right knee condition as secondary to his service-connected left knee condition. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including bilateral hearing loss, left hip and knee disabilities, right hip disability, left ankle disability, bilateral arm disability, right chest condition, right elbow condition, and right flank condition. The back and right knee disability ratings are also being remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for right and left knee disabilities, as well as throat cancer, due to service-connected pes planus. The cases are being returned for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is service connected as a direct result of his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected orthopedic disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the Board has granted entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied due to his employment history, and the Board has ordered remand for clarification of his prior employment experience.

Service connection is granted for left knee, right foot, left foot, left hip and lumbar spine disorders as well as a psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder with anxiety).,The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability led to or aggravated his other musculoskeletal conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a combined rating in excess of 30 percent for his right knee disability prior to June 7, 2011 was denied. However, the Veteran's claim for a 60 percent rating from August 1, 2012, for post-operative residuals of a total right knee replacement was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and bilateral knee scars as secondary to the service-connected knee disorders. The decision is based on the aggravation of pre-existing conditions during active duty for training (ACDUTRA).

The Veteran's right knee disability claim is remanded due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination. The Board finds that the circumstances warrant an examination.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding all listed issues, including the rating for migraine headaches and other conditions. The Board dismissed these appeals due to the withdrawal.

The Veteran's previously denied service connection claims for a lumbar spine disability, headaches, bone spurs, PTSD, right knee disability, and condyloma (genital warts) are being remanded due to new evidence. The issues of restoration of the 70% rating for PTSD and entitlement to TDIU remain pending.

The Board dismissed all appeals regarding service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal in May 2019. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection in multiple areas, including left shoulder impingement syndrome with arthritis and arthritis and muscle spasms of right shoulder, need further development to verify her Reserve service periods. The remaining issues are remanded due to inadequate examination.