Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claim for service connection for a left knee condition was granted. However, the appeal for secondary service connection of the left knee condition to her right knee condition was denied.

The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's left varicocele disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal due to incomplete VA examinations. The appeals for initial ratings of more than 10 percent for his knee and back disorders, as well as PTSD with depression, are now pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his bilateral knee condition, finding that there was no evidence linking his current disability to his military service.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Board denied service connection for right knee arthritis and lumbar spine arthritis, finding no evidence of their presence in service or a relationship to service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder condition related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.,For the left knee and right knee conditions, the Board found no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to service, secondary to his left knee disability or bilateral foot disabilities, and aggravated by those conditions.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for residuals of the left knee and service connection for arthritis of the right knee as secondary to residuals of the left knee. The decision is based on insufficient medical opinions regarding the preexisting nature of the Veteran's knee conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, asthma, diabetes mellitus, right knee disability, and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disorder secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus and denied a higher rating for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as left and right hip disabilities. The Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus is alleged to be a contributing factor in these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a right shoulder condition, fracture of the right-hand pinky, lower back condition, right knee condition, and right ankle condition. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on in-service injuries.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety (acquired psychiatric disorder), right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, tinnitus, and headache disorder have all been denied. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to active duty service.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety (acquired psychiatric disorder), right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, tinnitus, and headache disorder are all denied. The evidence does not show current disabilities or a link to active duty service.

Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, headaches, left knee disability, right foot gout, and right shoulder disability has been granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for right knee degenerative joint disease and service connection for asthma due to inadequate examination reports and missing treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining VA examination(s) to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and their relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for his right knee degenerative arthritis and a separate rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee instability due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and right knee strain were granted. The claim for left knee strain was denied. The back condition is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to February 3, 2017 did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment.