Knee decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various joint disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current arthritis and his military service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for aching bones, headaches, and fatigue as due to undiagnosed illness was granted. The claim for service connection for aching bones is now reopened with a disability rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated at 0 percent, as the VA examination results do not warrant a compensable rating.,The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome with patellar tendinitis prior to July 4, 2019 and status post right total knee replacement from July 5, 2019 are both rated at 30 percent. The Veteran is seeking higher ratings for these conditions.,The Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome with patellar tendinitis is rated at 10 percent. The Veteran is seeking a higher rating for this condition.,The Veteran is seeking TDIU prior to December 21, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating for left knee degenerative changes, finding that his symptoms did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, bilateral ankle, back, and hypertension disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the claim for VA loan guaranty benefits as it is inextricably intertwined with a pending left knee disability claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg disorder and left knee disorder as secondary to a right leg disorder are being considered.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C, right hip condition, right knee condition, right ankle condition, and right foot condition due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The claims are reopened but further evaluation is needed.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including limited flexion and instability, is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claim for a right knee disability due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to service. The Veteran's testimony and VA examination are considered, but there is uncertainty about the completeness of his service treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and disability ratings has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has decided to remand the issues of entitlement to evaluations for various service-connected disabilities due to the need for additional development, including new examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination that complies with the requirements of Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right foot, knee, back, stomach, and psychiatric conditions. The Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate examination and unclear findings regarding the Veteran's knee conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee and left hip disabilities, finding that further examination is needed to determine their etiology and whether they are related to service-connected right knee conditions. The claims will be delayed due to these additional examinations.

The Board denied service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and right knee disability, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a relationship to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period from August 15, 2013 to March 31, 2017 is granted due to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and bilateral knee and shoulder conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left shoulder, right wrist, lower back, and bilateral knee conditions due to incomplete medical records and inadequate examination reports. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant VA and private medical records and schedule the Veteran for an adequate VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee and right hand disabilities due to a lack of medical examination to determine their etiology.