Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for left knee disability, COPD, hypertension, skin cancer, and heart condition are all remanded due to incomplete service treatment records. The Board finds new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the claim for left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service and granted service connection for this condition. The remaining issues, including those regarding low back strain, right knee patellar dislocation with chronic strain, limitation of flexion in the right knee, and hearing loss, are remanded due to outstanding VA and private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible testimony of pain since service and his military duties as a cannoneer.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine (excluding spina bifida occulta), and left knee disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinions from an orthopedic surgeon.

The Veteran's claim for a rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew from appeal during an October 2019 Board hearing. The claims of entitlement to higher ratings for migraines, right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative joint disease, and residuals of traumatic brain injury are remanded.

The Veteran's right ankle, left knee instability, and lumbar spine disabilities have been granted initial disability ratings of 20 percent since August 24, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition was not shown as chronic in service or manifested to a compensable degree within one year after service discharge. The Board also found no evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service and concluded that the Veteran’s left knee disability is less likely related to an in-service injury.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right and left shoulder disabilities, right wrist, left wrist, right ankle, left ankle, hernia, joint pain, and prostate cancer. The Veteran's prostate cancer was not found to be service-connected.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability and sleep apnea are not service connected as they were not shown to be related to his active duty. The bilateral knee disabilities and heart disability (right bundle branch block and AV nodal conduction defect) are also not service connected, with the exception of hypertension which is being remanded for further review.,The Veteran's sleep apnea was not shown to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected plantar fasciitis. The bilateral knee disabilities were not found to be related to his service-connected plantar fasciitis and pes planus. The heart disability (right bundle branch block and AV nodal conduction defect) is being remanded for further review, as are the hypertension issues.,The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities were not shown to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected plantar fasciitis with pes planus. The heart disability was found to have a congenital origin but no superimposed disease or injury during service. Hypertension is being remanded for further review as it may be related to the Veteran's pre-service periods of active duty.,The Veteran's heart disability (right bundle branch block and AV nodal conduction defect) was found not to have been aggravated by his service from June 2004 to September 2004. The hypertension is being remanded for further review as it may be related to the Veteran's pre-service periods of active duty.,The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further review.

The Veteran's hypertension, left knee degenerative arthritis, and concussion, traumatic brain injury (TBI) are all being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic jock itch is denied as there is no evidence of a disease or injury during service and the condition has not been linked to any in-service event.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction, left foot disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions on etiology. Service connection for left shoulder disorder is also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for bilateral glaucoma, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, was dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.,The claim for an earlier effective date for osteoarthritis of the left knee was denied because the earliest date entitlement arose is October 31, 2007.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to new evidence. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and gastrointestinal disorder are denied as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's reported stressor events in service, which are necessary to substantiate a claim of PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability effective September 30, 2009. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee condition has been reopened due to new evidence. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between his left knee condition and his right knee disability, as well as an increased rating for his total right knee arthroplasty.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted service connection, and the Board finds that his GERD may be aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The claims for left knee, right fifth digit, hemorrhoids, onychomycosis of the toenails, and lumbar spine disabilities are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that his preexisting right knee condition did not worsen during service and was not incurred in service.

The Board has granted service connection for right leg and left leg shin splints. The claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee and ankle disabilities, as well as the right shoulder disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is rated at 0 percent, as the evidence does not show a compensable level of impairment.,The Veteran's right fifth metacarpal fracture residuals are currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted due to lack of ankylosis and no limitation of motion.