Knee decisions — 2011

The Veteran's left knee disability, including degenerative joint disease and instability, is currently rated at 10 percent. A separate rating for left knee instability was granted effective May 2, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA joints examination to assess the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Veteran seeks service connection for low back, right and left knee disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee osteoarthritis did not have its onset during service and was not shown to be related to any injury or event of service origin. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and thus there are no remaining issues for appellate review.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee strain with degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this evaluation does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development of the claims of service connection for a back disability, left eye disability, chronic headaches, and a higher initial rating for residuals of a left knee injury.

The Board denied entitlement to increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on limitation of motion or instability. The Veteran's knee disabilities were rated under Diagnostic Codes 5260 (flexion) and 5261 (extension), with no compensable loss noted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were granted, with a 30% disability rating assigned for left greater trochanteric bursitis from February 14, 2008 to April 9, 2010. The other issues remained unresolved.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development of the appealed issues, including service connection claims for a right knee disability, residuals of a chest injury, and hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected right knee disorder and consideration of extraschedular rating or TDIU if warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain his complete service treatment records, as well as any private and VA treatment records. He will also be scheduled for a VA orthopedic examination of his left knee.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA examinations and a Social and Industrial Survey to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for her service-connected left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to extend a temporary total disability rating for convalescence following left knee arthroscopy and partial meniscectomy, as his medical records did not indicate severe postoperative residuals such as incompletely healed surgical wounds or stumps of recent amputations. The claim for an increased rating was also denied.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the earliest possible effective date is November 29, 2006.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board finds that new and material evidence has been submitted to support his claims. The effective date of service connection is not addressed in this decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a VA examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disorder is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied due to the lack of a confirmed clinical diagnosis. The claims for higher evaluations for right hamstring muscle strain/sprain, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee ligament reconstruction were not addressed as they are considered part of the same appeal process. The hypertension claim is pending.