Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for both the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that they began during active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient information and potential association with service. The Veteran's statements, military records, and VA treatment records indicate possible associations between his acquired psychiatric disorder, vertigo, left knee condition, and right knee condition and his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus, left and right ankle sprains, tinnitus, left knee degenerative arthritis, painful scars of the ankles, and right knee degenerative arthritis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. As a result, he is granted total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for cervical spine, low back, bilateral foot (plantar fasciitis), bilateral ankle (sprain and tendonitis), and bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran's lay statements regarding her symptoms and their timeline are considered in reaching a decision.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left knee disability was dismissed as the claim was withdrawn from the Legacy appeals system and opted into the modernized process of the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).

The Veteran's claim for bilateral ear hearing loss has been reopened, but the appeal is still pending as some issues are remanded.,Service connection for left knee DJD status post TKR and a 10% rating for right knee scar have been granted. The remaining claims of service connection for acquired psychiatric condition to include PTSD, depression, anxiety, and/or trauma and stressor related disorder remain pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition has been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition was denied, as new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, knee, and back disorders have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection has been granted for a thoracolumbar spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right leg shin splints, left leg shin splints, bilateral knee conditions, and back condition due to inadequate VA examinations. The examinations were not adequate as they did not provide a clear diagnosis or sufficient rationale regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current symptoms and service.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA, left knee joint osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (back), degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine (neck), and headaches. The Veteran's conditions are found to be at least as likely as not related to his military service.,The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for right knee joint osteoarthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's low back, wrist, knee, and foot disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's claim for degenerative arthritis in left knee is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's claim for degenerative arthritis in right knee is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's claims for headaches, hypertension, and left knee condition are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Specifically, the Board requires a new examination to consider the onset of these conditions during service and their relationship to current symptoms.

The Veteran's rating for his right knee disability, characterized as degenerative joint disease, based on limitation of extension, was reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent. The Board finds the reduction improper and restores the 30 percent rating effective April 1, 2018. The case is remanded for further examination and readjudication.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an addendum opinion to address the Veteran's right knee disorder, including whether it is related to service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, right ankle disability, and right ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the disabilities and active service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for a left knee disability and TDIU due to obesity caused or aggravated by a service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and examination due to missing service medical records, conflicting evidence regarding qualifying Southwest Asia service, and incomplete information about the nature of his conditions.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed for the Veteran's knee and hearing loss disabilities, as well as an expanded psychiatric disability claim. The claims are being remanded to allow for these examinations.

The Veteran's right knee disability and IVDS of the lumbar spine are granted, with a rating of 40% for IVDS.