Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for right knee and lumbar spine disorders, finding that they are aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, but denied service connection for major depressive disorder (already service-connected), right ankle disability, and right knee disability. The right shoulder disability remains under review.,The Veteran's right knee and right shoulder disabilities are remanded for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection of seborrheic dermatitis, a mental health disability to include anxiety disorder, depression, and mood disorder, left knee DJD with meniscus tear, and right knee DJD with meniscus tear have been dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection claim for right knee strain and sinusitis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. Additional examinations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service, including his time as a parachutist and an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA examination addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's service connection claim for his bilateral knee replacement. The Veteran is not provided with an adequate medical opinion regarding whether any currently diagnosed knee conditions are related to service or any in-service disease, event, or injury.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The jaw disability, right knee and left knee disabilities, and right hip disability were denied as not related to service. The vision disability issue is remanded for further examination.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back disability and remanded the issue of service connection for a bilateral knee disability. The denial is based on insufficient evidence to establish that any current disabilities are related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his other conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for total knee replacement, left and right knees (claimed as bilateral knee injury), and for degenerative arthritis of the spine, cervical spondylosis and spinal fusion (claimed as neck injury) have been granted. The appeal is dismissed because these issues are no longer in controversy.

The Veteran has withdrawn his increased rating claims for coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes mellitus type II.,The Veteran has withdrawn his earlier effective date claim for tinnitus. The AOJ will issue a SOC regarding the service connection claims for arthritis.,The Veteran's loss of teeth is remanded due to lack of an adequate VA examination, as well as the need for clarification on carcinogen exposure and further development of the record.,PTSD symptoms are remanded for a new VA examination to determine their current severity and impact on employment.,TDIU claim is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with other claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The Veteran's knee conditions are being reviewed again, including his pre-existing left knee condition aggravated during service.

The Board has determined that a medical opinion is needed to address the Veteran's cause of death claim, specifically regarding whether asbestos exposure caused kidney disease and if the right leg below the knee amputation contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and conflicting findings, requiring a new VA examination to assess the Veteran's current level of impairment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied. The Board has also remanded the issues regarding ratings for his right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran has current knee disabilities and whether these disabilities are related to service or secondary to his service-connected lower back disability.

The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.,Tinnitus has been granted service connection, with the Board finding that it is related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for bilateral knee conditions, a low back condition, and a left ankle condition have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his bilateral hand disability, left shoulder impingement syndrome with rotator cuff tear with mild bursitis, left knee status post arthroscopic repair lateral meniscus tear, and degenerative disc/joint disease of the lumbar spine due to outstanding treatment records and inadequate examination reports.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outdated VA examination and the need for updated treatment records, including a VA knee examination.