Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative arthritis and entitlement to TDIU due to unresolved issues regarding his service-connected disability, specifically neurological manifestations related to his left leg.

The Board denied service connection for right hip and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service or a service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for OSA, finding that the evidence did not support a direct link to active duty service or secondary to any service-connected conditions. The Veteran's weight gain and obesity were also found not to be caused by his bilateral knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's right knee disability. The case is now pending for further examination and a new opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder pain/strain and right knee disability, including as secondary to a service-connected condition. The claim of service connection for hydradenitis is remanded due to new evidence being added during the appeal period.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran’s claimed conditions because the preponderance of the evidence did not support that these disabilities began in or are related to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the issues of propriety of reducing the Veteran's 10% ratings for right and left knee strains as these reductions were not final decisions.

The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, cervical degenerative disc disease status post fusion, right upper and left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis have been granted with effective dates of April 9, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee. The VA opinion relied upon by the AOJ is inadequate due to a mischaracterization of the question on appeal.

The Board has determined that the VA examination in November 2019 was inadequate and remanded for an additional examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, ear pain, right knee disability, left knee disability, and lumbar spine disability have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for a TDIU is remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of whether he was unemployable prior to September 5, 2017.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for a right knee disability and a rating higher than 10 percent for cervical strain with vertebral dislocation and bulge due to lack of development or readjudication by the AOJ.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for a right knee disability and a rating higher than 10 percent for cervical strain with vertebral dislocation and bulge due to lack of development or readjudication by the AOJ.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis, right knee as secondary to left knee replacement due to osteoarthritis should be remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a fall including broken left femur as secondary to his bilateral knee arthritis, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus (secondary to hearing loss), left hip osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to a lack of evidence from Social Security Administration.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, and the Board finds no basis to grant higher ratings based on current evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis with ACL tears and left knee osteoarthritis with ACL tears, finding that the conditions were diagnosed within one year of separation from service and did not clearly and unmistakably preexist service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examinations and a need for further development, including scheduling new VA examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right knee, left knee, right foot, and left foot disabilities have been denied.,An initial rating of 100 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been granted.