Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right hand, and left hand disorders were not present in service or until many years thereafter and are not related to service. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that it is proximately due to her service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's right knee disability with knee joint osteoarthritis is rated at 10 percent, and the Board found no evidence to warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran's TBI residuals are currently rated at 10 percent. The Board determined that there was not enough evidence to support a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headaches, right knee disability, left knee disability, and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the January 2012 rating decision.,However, the claims are still pending as they have been remanded for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee and low back osteoarthritis. The TDIU issue is remanded due to the AOJ's failure to obtain employment information from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's right knee disability, which is considered secondary to his left knee condition, is also granted as service connected.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee arthritis and chronic cough and chest pain is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination. The Veteran's left knee disorder may be related to her active duty service, but the nature of her current respiratory issues remains unclear.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee conditions due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for arthritis of the right knee, status post arthrotomy, with residual scar is being remanded due to incomplete examination results.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of a right knee total knee replacement after November 1, 2018 is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left knee disability was denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 10 percent for the period excluding the temporary total rating following surgery, and he has been granted a separate 20 percent rating for his meniscal tear.

The Board has denied service connection for various bilateral and unilateral joint disabilities, including wrist, hip, knee, shoulder, and ankle conditions. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the severity of his service-connected knee and shoulder conditions, as well as his eligibility for TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence linking his current disabilities to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed knee, ankle and wrist disabilities are not service-connected as they did not originate during or as a result of his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for neck pain, back pain, bilateral shoulder pain, rib pain, bilateral hand/finger pain, and bilateral hip/knee pain all claimed as a result of decompression syndrome due to saturation diving in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right total knee replacement, left knee disorder, and temporary total evaluation based on convalescence following an April 4, 2017, right knee surgery. The issues of entitlement to initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain and chronic nonsuppurative otitis media with right ear hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his service-connected left knee and lumbar spine disabilities.,Specifically, a retrospective opinion is needed on the extent of functional loss during flare-ups and after repetition over time for the periods prior to May 9, 2014 and from July 31, 2015 to present.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities secondary to service-connected pes planus are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient discussion of applicable diagnostic codes and failure to consider whether staged ratings are appropriate for the period prior to January 1, 2011.