Knee Board decisions

Service connection is granted for left knee chondromalacia, back arthritis, chronic residuals of left shoulder, and depressive disorder. Service connection is remanded for peripheral neuropathy in bilateral lower extremities and entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle and right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete verification of his periods of active duty with the Minnesota Army Reserve National Guard and lack of associated service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee condition and sleep apnea, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the other two issues.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are related to his in-service injuries, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions. The case is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of bilateral knee condition due to new and material evidence. However, the issue is remanded as further medical examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and TDIU due to inadequate examinations and lack of proper employment information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for further examinations and opinions regarding his gastrointestinal disorder, knee disabilities, and PTSD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney condition, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD), and various musculoskeletal conditions. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was set at September 12, 2017. All other issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction of his right knee scar disability rating from 10% to 0% effective October 1, 2015 has been dismissed as he withdrew the appeal.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with mild chondromalacia, finding that the evidence did not justify a higher rating.

The Board has granted the appellant's claims for service connection for right knee and left knee disabilities, finding that there is relative equipoise of evidence in favor of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence, and it is now granted.,Service connection for COPD was denied as there are no records indicating its occurrence during active duty.

The Board has determined that the remand instructions were not substantially complied with and thus, an additional remand is necessary before the Board can adjudicate the issues of service connection for hypertension and a right knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran requires additional examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbar strain, right hip strain, diminished flexion of the right thigh, right knee strain, right medial epicondylitis, and left medial epicondylitis. The RO is also instructed to issue a Statement of the Case for the issues of entitlement to increased disability ratings for service-connected right medial epicondylitis and left medial epicondylitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability, including as secondary to his service-connected left patellofemoral syndrome with lateral meniscus tear, is being remanded. The claim for reopening of the right knee osteoarthritis claim is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as left and right hip disabilities due to insufficient opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Veteran's use of back and knee braces for service-connected disabilities causes abnormal wear and tear on his clothing, warranting a clothing allowance for the year 2017. The claim for topical medication is denied as it does not meet eligibility criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for neck disability with paraplegia was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection for below the right knee amputation (claimed as loss of right foot secondary to right ankle and loss of right foot in surgery) was also denied.