Knee decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain and arthritis, right hip strain, left hip strain, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. Service connection is denied for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine.

The Board has remanded three issues: an initial rating for a back disability, an initial compensable rating for a deviated nasal septum, and service connection for a right knee disorder claimed as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to assess his current symptomatology and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the right knee, finding that DJD was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not otherwise related to any incident of service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee, which was rated at 30 percent since July 1, 2016, has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show severe painful motion or weakness to warrant a higher 60 percent rating. For TDIU, the Veteran's combined disability rating of 50 percent does not meet the schedular criteria for entitlement on and after July 1, 2016.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, hypertension, right shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and tinnitus. The appeals are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence related to these issues.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for right knee and low back disabilities were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions resulted from VA care, treatment or training.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment given his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the lower left extremity has been granted a 20 percent rating effective April 10, 2014. The Board finds that additional development is needed for his other service-connected disabilities as their severity may impact the ratings assigned.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right ankle, lower back, right hip, and right knee disabilities are related to his service-connected left ankle disability. However, due to incomplete opinions from previous VA examinations, a new examination is required to determine if these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee disability, low back disability, and bilateral hearing loss and hyperacusis due to insufficient medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as a lumbar spine disability due to the Veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for OSA, vertigo/dizziness, bilateral knee conditions, and skin diseases have been granted. The claim for CFS was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's knee conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that VA examinations and VA addendum opinions are warranted prior to appellate review for the Veteran's skin disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, left knee disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and left ankle disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of any in-service injury or disease related to the current condition and that the current condition is not related to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chest pain and remanded the issue of secondary service connection for left knee disability due to his service-connected lumbar spine arthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative osteoarthritis of the right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence. The issues of secondary service connection for tinnitus, service connection for sinusitis with rhinitis, type II diabetes mellitus, irritable bowel syndrome, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, degenerative arthritis of the spine, hiatal hernia, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, and tendonitis of the right shoulder, rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection and aggravation of right knee disability by left knee disability.