Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for the following reasons: missing SSA records related to PTSD, and additional records are needed from VAMC.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to scheduling errors in VA examinations.

The Board dismissed all service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of various joints as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Board denied service connection for left hip, right hip, and back disabilities. However, it granted service connection for a left knee disability that is not directly related to service but was caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.,Service connection for bilateral hips and back disabilities were not established as they are not linked to active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to allergies, right-hand disability, left-hand disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will be afforded VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all conditions currently on appeal, including shoulder strain, neck condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left hand condition, right hand condition, fatigue, and stomach condition/diarrhea.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. His left knee disability is granted a 20% rating, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, right knee condition, left knee condition, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities as they are not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder or arm disability, left knee or leg disability, right knee or leg disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, COPD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depressive disorder and PTSD) has been granted. The issues of service connection for COPD and the acquired psychiatric disorder have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for prostate cancer and right knee disorder due to insufficient evidence. The claim for hearing loss is also remanded, but the decision on whether it was incurred in service remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year following discharge. The Board also found that any current knee conditions were not related to service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis and instability, is currently rated at 20 percent for a meniscal condition. The appeal is granted for this issue.

The Board denied higher initial disability ratings for various conditions, including right knee chondromalacia patella, right shoulder disorder, right wrist disorder, left ankle disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, bladder cancer, ulcerative colitis, Bell's palsy, stroke residuals, hair loss, and skin disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip disability, prostate disability, and bilateral knee disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronic left knee or psychiatric conditions during service or within one year after separation. The VA examinations did not support a direct relationship between these disabilities and service.,The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish secondary service connection for the psychiatric disability due to service-connected back and knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome with patella femoral tendonitis due to the need for additional examinations to determine their current severity.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the issues regarding left knee instability are also denied. The Board found no evidence of instability or other conditions that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied higher ratings for right knee instability prior to August 10, 2010 and partial right knee replacement residuals from August 10, 2011 to February 2, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a penile condition and headaches have been dismissed. The appeal for the neck disability, left knee disability, right knee disability evaluation, and TDIU has been remanded.