Knee decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral knee condition and his service. The claim will be further developed with a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee instability and limited flexion were denied as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a higher rating under the applicable criteria.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee arthritis, left ankle arthritis, and right knee arthritis. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are related to any in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a nexus between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear conductive hearing loss. The claims of service connection for left knee disability and left ear conductive hearing loss are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is granted, and a rating of 20 percent is assigned. The left knee arthritis and instability remain denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left total knee replacement and remanded the issue of an increased rating for right knee osteoarthritis.

The Board has withdrawn all issues related to service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a left knee condition. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development due to procedural errors and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating on his right knee disability and service connection for his back disability were both remanded by the Board. The right knee case was denied, while the back disability issue is to be addressed again with new evidence.

The Veteran's left hip degenerative joint disease is granted as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted due to noise exposure during service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the current disability is not related to military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, stroke, lumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, hypertension, left hip disorder, and right hip disorder due to inadequate addendum opinions from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at 30 percent, meeting the criteria for this level of disability. The Veteran's right knee disability remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, a right eye disorder, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations. The claims are now pending for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of vocational rehabilitation and functional capacity evaluations, which were not provided by a vocational rehabilitation counselor as directed in the previous August 2019 remand. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include posttraumatic stress disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbosacral strain, right hip osteoarthritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and several other disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and unclear onset of his disabilities. The VA will attempt to obtain National Guard service records, including ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA records, and provide further development as needed.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The left knee disability issue has been remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been dismissed due to withdrawal of appeal. The claims for reopening were granted, and new evidence was submitted in support of these claims.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for left leg condition, bilateral knee arthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).