Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back and bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient consideration of all relevant in-service treatment records.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent and no higher, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Service connection has been granted for major depressive disorder secondary to service-connected PTSD.,Joint pain (bilateral knee osteoarthritis), neck disorder (cervical spine arthritis), and back disorder (lumbar spine arthritis) have not met the criteria for service connection as they are not shown to be related to service or within one year of separation from service.,Left ankle disorder, vision disorder (refractive error of the eye), bilateral hearing loss, shortness of breath, and sleep disorder have not been established as service-connected due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Heart disorder has not met the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders, low back disorder, right ankle disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The case is remanded for additional examinations and development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities do not meet the criteria for service connection on a direct basis due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and service.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability as the evidence did not show they were incurred in or related to service.,The Board also denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disability (left and right ankles) and for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the knees, back, shoulders, and hips as there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and military service.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disorder as the preexisting condition was not aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral knee disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee disability was denied as the evidence did not show ankylosis, impairment of the tibia or fibula, flexion limited to 30 degrees, extension limited to 15 degrees, dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion into the joint, or instability. The Veteran's disability was rated as 10 percent due to painful motion.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inadequate examination findings and the need for additional opinions regarding range of motion, flare-ups, and functional impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims for residuals of cancer of the renal pelvis, right knee disability, CAD, and type 2 diabetes mellitus due to incomplete medical opinions and additional evidence. The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer is claimed as secondary to his renal pelvis cancer.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back disability and bilateral knee disability, finding that the evidence does not support a direct or presumptive relationship to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disorder, a right hip disorder, and initial ratings for his right and left knee disabilities due to incomplete examinations and lack of medical evidence supporting the diagnoses.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, as secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder. The decision also grants service connection for posttraumatic osteoarthritis of both hands and fingers, but denies service connection for a neck disorder.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected disabilities, specifically PTSD and left knee disability. The right knee disability, spinal stenosis, and migraine headaches are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for evaluations of his service-connected disabilities due to a lack of recent VA examinations and insufficient range-of-motion testing in previous examinations. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to assess the current severity of his right knee, left wrist, and right wrist disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, back, and left eye disabilities due to inadequate consideration of relevant evidence in prior VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine, left hip, right hip, left knee, and right ankle disabilities as secondary to a service-connected right great toe disability due to lack of sufficient nexus opinions.

The Board has granted the reopening of several previously denied claims, but has found that additional evidence is needed to determine if service connection can be established for these conditions.