Knee decisions — 2011

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, and denied his requests for increased ratings for left knee disability, right knee disability, right hip strain, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and individual unemployability. The Veteran was not granted any of these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently have a diagnosed left knee injury and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg and knee disorder, back disorder, and left leg and knee disorder. The decision is based on direct evidence and no presumption of service connection.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for left hip and left knee disabilities, which are currently service-connected. The Board finds the VA examination inadequate and remands the case to obtain an addendum that addresses whether these conditions are related to his service-connected back disability or otherwise.

The Board has ordered additional examination and opinion to determine the nature and etiology of any current right knee arthritis, including whether it is related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder, low back disorder, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities as secondary to his service-connected shell fragment wound of the left thigh. The RO should schedule the Veteran for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD rating, bilateral knee disorder, abdominal disorder, and heart condition were denied. The Board found no evidence of current right knee disability or a relationship between the left knee disorder and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected left knee disabilities were denied. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's left knee degenerative osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament tear did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination reports, failure to consider continuity of symptoms after service, and lack of consideration of SSA records. The reopened claim for residuals of a right leg and right knee injury is pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right ankle disability and remanded the underlying claims for further development. The Veteran is currently assessed as having collapsing pes valgoplanus deformity with posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, claimed as disability of the ankles, attributable to his service-connected disabilities of the feet. A VA examination is necessary to decide these claims.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a right knee disorder and finds that it is at least as likely as not incurred in service.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, which more nearly approximates the criteria for a 20 percent rating due to functional loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied. The Board found that the right knee and left knee disabilities, as well as hypertension, are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability and an examination to determine the current nature, extent, and etiology of his prostate disability. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee retropatellar pain syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension were denied. The current schedular ratings are deemed adequate.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diagnosed right knee, right hand, respiratory, or nervous disorders and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the previously denied claims of headaches and diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran seeks a higher initial evaluation for his service-connected left knee disability. The RO/AMC is directed to obtain all pertinent VA and private records, schedule the Veteran for a new VA examination, and then readjudicate the claim.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine, hip, and knee disabilities. The case is therefore REMANDED for further development.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral knee disability. The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining records from Dr. Amberg and scheduling the Veteran for an orthopedic examination.