Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is denied as not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a lack of medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The issues include low back condition, bilateral knee conditions, sleep apnea, sinusitis, and deviated septum disability.

The Board denied service connection for GERD, bilateral knee disability, and right foot heel disability as these conditions are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to the Veteran's active duty military service.,Service connection was also denied for fibromyalgia, tingling and numbness of the upper extremities, UTIs, and pharyngitis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back, right knee, and left knee disabilities are not related to his active service.,However, the Veteran's respiratory disability is considered at least in equipoise with service connection due to exposure to asbestos during service.

The Board has granted separate 10 percent ratings for lost left and right knee extension under Diagnostic Code 5261, but denied increased ratings for lost left and right knee flexion. The TDIU claim is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg neurological condition (piriformis syndrome) and a right knee disability (patellofemoral syndrome) have been denied. The claim for an increased rating for the service-connected right hip strain has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examinations in February 2019. The Veteran is being asked to provide private treatment records related to his knee and skin disorders, and he will be afforded new VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings on several conditions has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his appeal by his representative.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ratings for Reiter’s Syndrome with low back pain, right knee synovitis, left thumb disability, chronic testalgia/epididymitis/urethritis, psoriasis, and keratitis. The cases are being returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for further development due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's current wrist disability, including tendonitis and osteoarthritis, is related to his service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to service or his service-connected low back disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, left ankle, and right ankle disorders due to inadequate examination in a previous Gulf War General Medical Examination.

The Veteran's left knee disability was denied increased ratings prior to February 27, 2020 and for the period beginning February 27, 2020. The claims for reopening service connection for low back and right knee disabilities were also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is entitled to increased ratings for his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for sleep disturbances and chronic fatigue syndrome have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, neck disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, and an increased rating for lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to address the adequacy of the November 2016 VA examination reports, which were used in denying service connection for left wrist disability, right knee disability, and hemorrhoids.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including right and left knee disorders, residuals of a fracture of the right femur, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has restored a 30 percent disability rating for the Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc and joint disease associated with right knee Osgood-Schlatter’s disease, as the reduction from 30 percent to 20 percent was not proper due to lack of improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, stomach disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and neck disorder. The Veteran's contentions were not supported by medical evidence.