Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence, and it is now granted.,Service connection for COPD was denied as there are no records indicating its occurrence during active duty.

The Board has determined that the remand instructions were not substantially complied with and thus, an additional remand is necessary before the Board can adjudicate the issues of service connection for hypertension and a right knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran requires additional examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbar strain, right hip strain, diminished flexion of the right thigh, right knee strain, right medial epicondylitis, and left medial epicondylitis. The RO is also instructed to issue a Statement of the Case for the issues of entitlement to increased disability ratings for service-connected right medial epicondylitis and left medial epicondylitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability, including as secondary to his service-connected left patellofemoral syndrome with lateral meniscus tear, is being remanded. The claim for reopening of the right knee osteoarthritis claim is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as left and right hip disabilities due to insufficient opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Veteran's use of back and knee braces for service-connected disabilities causes abnormal wear and tear on his clothing, warranting a clothing allowance for the year 2017. The claim for topical medication is denied as it does not meet eligibility criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for neck disability with paraplegia was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection for below the right knee amputation (claimed as loss of right foot secondary to right ankle and loss of right foot in surgery) was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for a right knee disability, specifically whether the current degenerative arthritis is aggravated by the service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits due to his not having a serious employment handicap and his eligibility period ending on August 11, 2008.

The Veteran's right knee disability, GERD, and hypertension are all rated at the lowest possible levels (10% each), and thus no higher ratings are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment from December 7, 2015. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to TDIU from this date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and back disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his current conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for a left knee disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including left wrist disability, left knee and hip disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and skin disability. The remand requires obtaining updated medical records, conducting examinations for orthopedic, audiological, and dermatological evaluations, and determining the etiology of any diagnosed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a sleep disorder and did not address the left knee disability claim. The decision also noted that there is no direct evidence linking the current sleep disorder to active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition and lower back condition, both of which are secondary to his service-connected left knee condition. The case is being returned for additional development and new VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee pain, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking current knee conditions to service.,The Veteran reported pain in both knees since service, but did not have a diagnosed condition until after service. The VA examiner found no nexus between his current knee conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeal is limited to the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Board has decided this issue in favor of the Veteran and remanded it for further examination.