Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for stenosis, spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and degenerative joint disease of bilateral knees. Service connection was denied for a bilateral ankle disability.

The Veteran's DJD, left knee, status-post total left knee replacement is found to have been incurred during active service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all claims except for service connection for a psychiatric disability and alcoholism. The remaining claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's gout and arthritis of the hips, knees, and ankles were not shown to be related to service or any presumptive conditions.,The Board found that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's sleep apnea to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his bilateral knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral knee disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuritis, gout (hyperuricemia), and heart disability (biventricular hypertrophy), were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for DDD of the thoracolumbar spine and DJD of the right knee were denied. The VA found that the disabilities did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, with no functional impairment or additional limitation due to pain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA examination opinions and incomplete evidence. The Veteran is required to provide information about any private or VA treatment he may have had for his right eye, bilateral ankle/feet, bilateral knee, bilateral hip, and lumbar spine disorders.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and Barrett's esophagus, and carpel tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities have been granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee tendonitis is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's knee and foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development of her claims.

The Board has granted initial noncompensable ratings for the Veteran's right and left anterior compartment syndromes, as well as his left great toe degenerative changes. These conditions are rated under Diagnostic Code 5262 (impairment of tibia and fibula).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is not related to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. The claim will be adjudicated again based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's current left knee disability, diagnosed as medial and collateral ligament strain with displaced medial meniscus, results from injury during service. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his left knee disability, including any additional range-of-motion loss due to weakened movement, excess fatigability, incoordination, pain, or flare-ups. The case will be returned to the Board after this examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and determined that his current right knee disability is related to his active military service, granting service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims of service connection for knee and left ankle disabilities, as well as his claim for bilateral hearing loss. The underlying issues are addressed in a separate remand.