Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability and remanded the issue of service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease and right tibia/fibula impairment. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a back disability are remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disability and mental health conditions are being remanded for further evaluation. The VA will obtain any outstanding records, schedule the Veteran for examinations to assess his current condition, and determine if there is new evidence that warrants reopening of his claims.

The Veteran's right and left knee chondromalacia were rated at 10 percent each, with a separate 10 percent rating for slight recurrent subluxation of both knees. The claim for increased ratings was denied.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for left ankle disability was denied as the evidence did not show any additional limitation of motion beyond what is already accounted for in the current 20% rating. The claims for service connection for right ankle and knee disorders were also denied due to lack of a causal relationship between these conditions and his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals. The Board has also remanded several issues including sleep apnea, lower back disability, and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has found that another remand is necessary as the Veteran is entitled to substantial compliance with Board remand directives. The case was previously before the Board in June 2019, and it has been returned for appellate consideration.

The Veteran's right knee strain with hamstring muscle tear residuals is rated at 10 percent, and the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease prior to June 18, 2019 and since that date are both denied as not meeting the criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left knee disability, and OSA have been denied. The case is remanded for further evaluation of the left knee disability and for a VA examination to assess the Veteran's OSA.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for asthma, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, headaches, and left knee disorder due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for any of the conditions claimed, and thus service connection cannot be granted.,There are no diagnoses or findings related to these conditions in the Veteran's service records, and post-service medical records do not show any such disabilities until decades after his discharge from active duty.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right knee condition is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee and right ankle conditions due to insufficient examination reports and lack of nexus opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination reports and incomplete development of stressor allegations. The issues include PTSD, depression, anxiety, bilateral ankle condition, bilateral knee condition, and low back disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, fracture of the left shin, and left ankle injury residuals. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these issues.,The Veteran's tinnitus claim remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, and lumbosacral strain due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for further development to determine its relationship to service-connected PTSD and any other service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is remanded for further development to determine its relationship to service or a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's right foot bone spur is remanded for further development to determine its relationship to service or a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's bilateral eye disorder (dry eye syndrome) is remanded for further development to determine if it is related to exposure to burn pits during service.,The Veteran's right knee disorder is remanded for further development to determine its relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the remaining claims of low back disability, right knee disability, bilateral wrist disabilities, and bilateral finger neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee injury, osteoarthritis, and scars have been denied. The current ratings are consistent with the severity of his conditions as documented in medical records.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis is now rated at 20 percent effective September 3, 2013.