Knee decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease leading to current osteoarthritis and noting that the condition did not manifest within one year of separation from service. The Board also found that the Veteran had not provided sufficient medical opinion to establish a link between his current condition and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including her lumbosacral strain, right ankle, left lower radiculopathy and right wrist conditions, are considered one disability with a combined rating of 60 percent. The Board finds that the functional impairment associated with these disabilities precludes the Veteran from securing substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10% since July 19, 2018. The Veteran's thoracolumbar myofascial strain with degenerative changes is rated at 20% since August 30, 2017.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that the current condition is not causally or etiologically related to any incident of service and does not meet the criteria for secondary service connection due to a service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The claims for elbow, hip, and knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral knee disorder and a rating in excess of 10 percent for sacroiliitis due to additional evidentiary development. The current rating for sacroiliitis is 10 percent, effective from November 23, 2010.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions provided by VA examiners. The issues include PTSD, right hand/finger disability, left knee and right knee disabilities, back disability, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequacies in the previous VA opinion and need for additional evidence, particularly regarding the July 1992 left knee injury during ACDUTRA and the August 2002 surgery.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease and traumatic arthritis of the right knee, degenerative joint disease and traumatic arthritis of the left knee, and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine.

Service connection for PTSD is granted. Service connection for a right knee disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis and right knee osteoarthritis are reopened, but the left knee disorder is denied. The claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right knee disorder and migraine headaches have been granted. The Board found new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims, including testimony regarding in-service injuries and continuous symptoms since then.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient detail in previous VA medical opinions regarding service connection for left knee disability and hepatitis B. The Veteran's left knee condition is being evaluated again, as well as whether the Veteran had a diagnosis of gout or pseudogout during service which could have caused his current chondromalacia. For hepatitis B, the Board needs to determine if it was present during the appeal period and if it is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing medical expense records. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, and entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Veteran's left knee instability and arthritis were rated based on their severity, with the highest rating granted for each condition.

The Board denied service connection for high blood pressure, left leg disability (including left knee disability), and PTSD. The Veteran's high blood pressure was not shown to have started in service or within one year of service discharge. Service treatment records did not show ongoing symptoms of hypertension during service. For the left leg disability, there is no evidence showing an injury or disease in service that caused current symptomology. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD is related to a stressor from service.,The Board denied service connection for high blood pressure and left leg disability (including left knee disability). There was no indication of hypertension during service, nor were there any symptoms noted post-service until 2008. For the left leg disability, the Veteran did not provide evidence showing an injury or disease in service that caused current symptomology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. Service connection was not granted as the evidence did not show a chronic condition within one year of discharge or that it was related to his service-connected disabilities. Increased ratings for right knee arthritis and instability were also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee, rotator cuff tear of the right shoulder, right hand and wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and left hand and wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The disabilities are considered to be directly related to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee instability is granted a separate rating of 10 percent, effective December 10, 2018.