Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right knee is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran’s claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete medical records and need for additional examinations.,The Veteran has multiple conditions related to her active duty service, including right hip disability, dry eye syndrome, Bell's palsy, left and right foot/heel disabilities (including Achilles tendinopathy), which may be related to her service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to outstanding treatment records from a United States Army health care center, as well as the need for VA examinations for his right knee disability and skin condition.

The petition to reopen the claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, right hand arthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis is granted. The Board has decided that a new opinion is needed regarding the relationship between these conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's right knee and lumbar spine disabilities, including a separate rating for bowel or bladder impairment secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine disability. The initial ratings for IVDS and right lower extremity radiculopathy are also remanded.

The Board denied an increased rating for left knee strain, finding that the disability did not meet criteria for a higher evaluation due to lack of recurrent subluxation or lateral instability and limited flexion.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's hypogonadism with low testosterone is currently rated at zero percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at zero percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at zero percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right foot disability is currently rated at zero percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for low back disability, left knee meniscal tear, and tinnitus. Other claims remain pending.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals of the issues related to right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, neck arthritis pain, left elbow arthritis pain, left wrist arthritis pain, left hand arthritis pain, right hip arthritis pain, left hip arthritis pain, right knee arthritis pain, and left knee arthritis pain. The issue of service connection for chronic skin systemic condition is also dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, recurrent rash, and left knee condition due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional evaluations of degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine prior to July 30, 2015, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to insufficient medical opinions regarding functional loss during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted for bilateral flat feet, but denied for migraine headaches, generalized primary osteoarthritis, knee replacement resulting from bone cancer, hypertension, prostate cancer, and diabetes. The decision also found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed chronic migraine headache disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for further evaluation of the Veteran's lumbar spine strain, hip disability, knee disability, and depression. The claims for service connection are also referred to the RO.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure of the AOJ to decide whether the Veteran's right knee disability is secondary to his service-connected meralgia paresthetica. The AOJ must also obtain a new medical opinion addressing both causation and aggravation, and then adjudicate the claim for service connection for a right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected chondromalacia of the left and right knees do not render him unemployable, as his education and occupational experience allow for substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right knee, postoperative with scars and for entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of recent VA examinations and incomplete medical records. The issues are intertwined as the TDIU claim is dependent on the outcome of the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn.,Service connection is granted for allergic rhinitis, with the condition believed to have onset during active service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted as service-connected due to an undiagnosed illness. The left foot and ankle disabilities are denied as not incurred in active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and conducting examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for low testosterone and lost libido, left knee degenerative joint disease, GERD, right knee meniscal tear, bilateral hearing loss disability, diabetes mellitus, and a dental condition. The issues of service connection for these conditions are being remanded for further development.