Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left knee disorder and his in-service fracture. The Veteran is requested to provide an addendum opinion on whether his current diagnosis of left knee joint osteoarthritis is related to a service-connected condition or if it began during active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent hip, lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to potential pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including TBI, vertigo, sleep apnea, and neurological impairment of the upper and lower extremities due to cold exposure, have been dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran does not have these conditions or their claimed causes.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating for residuals of postoperative right knee lateral collateral ligament strain remains at 10 percent, while other conditions are either not granted or remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not meet the definition of hearing loss for VA purposes. The claims for left and right knee arthritis are remanded due to a failure to obtain an opinion on the theory of aggravation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not show forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine limited to 30 degrees or less, which would be required for a higher rating.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee DJD, as well as her claim for hypothyroidism due to lack of sufficient evidence at the time of the initial rating decisions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee and left knee conditions, finding that these conditions are related to his active military service.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including right leg disability, left knee chondrocalcinosis, right foot osteoarthritis, left foot osteoarthritis, right hand osteoarthritis, and left hand osteoarthritis. The issues were all found to not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a left knee disability due to insufficient evidence and an inadequate nexus opinion. The VA will seek additional records, including from private facilities and incarceration periods, and schedule the Veteran for a new examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities are being remanded due to the need to obtain her Reserve service records and provide TERA opinions regarding certain conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current left knee disabilities, specifically whether they are related to his in-service chondromalacia patella and subsequent ruptured patellar tendon.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed because he is already receiving a total schedular rating for his service-connected disabilities, and no single disability alone establishes unemployability.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service event related to the claimed female sexual arousal, and thus service connection for this condition is denied.,Service connection for the right leg disability, left leg disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability is denied due to lack of an in-service disease or injury.,The Veteran's lumbar spine, cervical spine, right hip, and left hip disabilities are not granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected, while his TBI and other conditions are denied. The left knee instability receives a separate rating of 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for eczema, migraines, and a right knee disability due to potential exposure to toxins during service in Bahrain. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to these substances, chemicals, airborne hazards, and fine particulate matter.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left knee disorder is not service connected, and has remanded for further action on his claim of sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disability is related to his service. The AOJ must obtain a new medical opinion and readjudicate the claim.

The Veteran's claims for left lung polyp and left knee residuals of arthroscopic repair were denied effective dates earlier than the ones granted, with no effective date established before October 26, 2015, for left knee residuals.