Knee decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, bilateral ankle, and bilateral foot disorders. The claim for right hand disorder was also denied as there is no current diagnosed disorder related to his period of service.

The Veteran's right elbow, left hip, and right hip disabilities are secondary to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine tendonitis. The Board is remanding these claims for further development.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not linked to any service-connected condition. The Board is also remanding this claim for further development.,The Veteran's right knee, bilateral foot pes planus, left foot hallux valgus, and right foot hallux valgus disabilities are all considered direct service connection cases. The Board is remanding these claims as well for further development.

The Board denied service connection for right knee disability, dyslipidemia, gastric disorder (including GERD), and prostate disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, and a right tibia disability due to inadequate examinations that did not consider all of his contentions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the appropriate disability ratings and TDIU status.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for back, right leg, and right knee disabilities due to their death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's ratings for his service-connected right knee instability and limitation of extension were reduced from 20 percent and 40 percent to 10 percent, respectively. The Board has restored the original ratings as there was no improvement in daily function.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus with osteoarthritis, chronic lumbosacral strain, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been rated as they are currently manifested. The maximum schedular rating of 50% for bilateral pes planus has been assigned.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including left calf strain, allergic rhinitis, gastroenteritis, and left knee strain, as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions and the evidence did not support a nexus to active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right knee disability, and a new examination is needed.

The Board has denied reopening of claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, bilateral eye condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, and PTSD). The case is REMANDED to obtain additional medical records and to schedule a VA examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and increased ratings for various disabilities, including knee, shoulder, hip, and psychiatric conditions. The Veteran's claims are being referred back for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his left knee disability has been dismissed as he withdrew the appeal.,The Veteran's right ankle disability claim is reopened and will be decided on its merits. The Board requested additional evidence to support this decision, including medical records from his 2011 surgery.,The Veteran was granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for right lower extremity numbness and tingling due to a surgical procedure in March 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis status post (s/p) total knee arthroplasty, right knee osteoarthritis s/p total knee arthroplasty, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteochondritis dissecans of the bilateral knees was denied in May 1963 due to lack of new and material evidence. The Board found that the recent submissions were not material since they did not show that the disabilities were incurred or aggravated in service.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU prior to December 10, 2017 was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service.,His neck muscle change was not linked to service.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left shoulder conditions, as well as right and left knee conditions. The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently rated at 30 percent.,The Board has also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The examination will assess the severity of his service-connected knee condition and its impact on his ability to use his feet and perform daily activities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus has been denied as no application was filed prior to February 18, 2015.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder disability is reopened based on new evidence provided by Dr. A.A.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral foot fungus disability is not reopened due to the lack of materiality of the submitted evidence.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for spine disability is reopened based on new evidence provided by Dr. A.A.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability is reopened based on new evidence provided by Dr. A.A.