Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for chronic bronchitis and remanded his bilateral knee disability claim. The case is now before VA for further examination and opinion regarding these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, and bilateral hip arthritis due to their onset during service. The initial compensable rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability is denied.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service.

An effective date earlier than October 12, 2017, for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder is denied.,An effective date earlier than January 16, 2015, for the award of service connection for a left knee scar is denied.,An effective date earlier than September 24, 2010, for the award of service connection for a right knee scar is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and opinion regarding PTSD, psychiatric disabilities other than PTSD, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Veteran's temporary total rating for convalescence following a right total knee arthroplasty revision surgery is granted from September 11, 2018 to October 31, 2018. The Board finds that the evidence supports this decision as it indicates severe post-operative residuals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder torn cartilage and bilateral knee degenerative joint disease, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has decided that the claims for service connection and TDIU are inextricably intertwined and must be remanded due to the need for clarification regarding the nature of the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine and PTSD disabilities, but has not yet decided whether these claims are well-grounded or granted. The case is REMANDED to allow further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his VA Form 9 was untimely filed. The decision also noted that he did not timely appeal the denial of left knee disorder claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder of any kind, to include a personality disorder was not reopened and denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder was reopened but the appeal is still pending as further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and issues regarding secondary service connection. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical evidence, including from his Air National Guard (ANG) service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a right knee disability and low back disability due to incomplete records, including service personnel records and SSA disability benefits records. The Veteran will need to provide authorization for VA to obtain his complete service personnel record and pay information from June 1990. A VA examination is also needed to determine if any current disabilities are related to an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU due to new evidence indicating that additional examination is needed. The effective date of dependency benefits remains January 1, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a respiratory disorder, and thus cannot grant service connection for this condition. The remaining issues are remanded to obtain a VA examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's disabilities, including lumbar spine, left ankle, and left knee conditions, as well as sleep apnea and psychiatric disorders. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for a left heel disability and hemorrhoids.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for obesity, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and osteoarthritis (including of the bilateral hands, right knee, right hip, left shoulder, and neck), all claimed as secondary to service-connected cognitive disorder. The claims are remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee condition and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of current diagnoses, as well as the need for nexus opinions. The Veteran is also granted new and material evidence having been received to reopen his claim for service connection for a left knee condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including back, right shoulder, right hip, and right knee disabilities, all secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability and its relationship to service, particularly a motorcycle accident in 1977. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s left knee disability was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral ankle disability.