Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions due to inadequate previous VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hip, right knee, and right ankle disorders have been dismissed. The claims to reopen his back and left knee disorders are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for a left knee disability was dismissed. Service connection for a low back disorder is granted, but the issue of service connection for a left ankle disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected essential tremor of the hands, lumbar spine disability, and left knee disability preclude him from maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, increased ratings for bilateral knee chondromalacia, and an increased rating for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease. The evidence did not support higher or separate ratings for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service personnel records and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for various disabilities, including right and left ankle disabilities, cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, shoulder and knee conditions, and bilateral plantar fasciotomies. The appeals are being remanded due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for updated VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and increased rating as they are not fully-informed due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran needs new VA examinations for his low back, left hip, left knee, left foot disorders, and gastrointestinal disorder.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 15, 2012 for the award of service connection for a right knee disability. The appeal is not about service connection but rather about when this decision should take effect.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, left knee, and right elbow disorders due to lack of evidence showing a disease or injury in service that resulted in current disability.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, upper back injury, aggravation of pre-existing right knee condition, and aggravation of pre-existing bilateral foot condition. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and military service.,The Veteran did not have any diagnosed disabilities related to his shoulders or back during service, and the current disabilities were not shown to be caused by service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, back, and right hip disabilities due to insufficient evidence in his file.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis as there was no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of permanent and total disability with loss or use of one lower extremity.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a left knee disability due to new and material evidence submitted since the September 2008 rating decision.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied as there is no credible evidence linking current back issues to ADT.

The claim for service connection for a right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for further development and an opinion regarding the onset of the Veteran's condition during active service or within one year thereafter.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, left knee tendonitis status post cruciate ligament repair, and left ankle disability status post ligament repair have been denied. The evidence did not show the required functional loss or ankylosis to warrant higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and extraschedular considerations have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s knee conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board has determined that additional information is needed regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inconsistencies in previous examinations and the need to review his SSA records. The issues of bilateral shoulder pain, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, leg pain, loss of balance, tremors in the neck and hands, neurological problems, chronic fatigue, erratic blood pressure, abdominal pain, stomach and intestine problems, spinal column tumor, seizures, residuals of stroke, heart problems, diabetes mellitus type II are all remanded for further review.

The Board has found that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's currently diagnosed sleep apnea had its onset in service. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is granted.