Knee decisions — 2011

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including providing the Veteran with a copy of his claims file and arranging for an orthopedist examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his bilateral knee disability. The examiner will also need to provide opinions on whether the Veteran's current condition is related to service or his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right eye disability, hypertension, scrotal disability, and knee disabilities have been denied. The RO found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right knee traumatic osteoarthritis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right ankle, lower back, right knee, left heel spur, and cervical spine disorders.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a video conference hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back, left knee, and right knee disabilities were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for a left knee disorder was granted. The effective date remains November 4, 1983.,Service connection for schizophrenia, paranoid type is not earlier than November 4, 1983.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not solely about service connection and have requested additional development to address other issues, including a psychiatric disorder claim due to personal assault allegations.

The Board found that the grants of service connection were based on fraud, and thus severed all service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including a VA examination to assess his left and right knee disabilities and an audiological examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease is directly related to his active military service, and his left knee disorder is secondary to his right knee disorder. The claims are therefore granted.

The Board has remanded the case to allow the Appeals Management Center to consider additional evidence and readjudicate the issue of entitlement to an evaluation greater than 10 percent for right knee arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted. His bilateral hearing loss was found to be related to his military service, rheumatoid arthritis and steroid acne are considered as resulting from or aggravated by his service-connected conditions, and the low back disability is rated higher than initially assigned.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral painful heels with degenerative changes, as well as his claims for increased evaluations for left and right painful heels. The case is also remanded to obtain a discharge physical from the U.S. Army and Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) or National Archives Records Administration (NARA).

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, based on arthritis and instability. The current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his conditions.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal for all issues except possibly service connection on the merits.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis is currently rated at 20 percent disabling due to limitation of motion, with a separate 10 percent rating for instability since June 24, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, small cell carcinoma of the lung, was not related to his service-connected disabilities or any in-service radiation exposure. The medical opinions of record found no connection between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, pes planus, bilateral ankle and knee disabilities, bilateral hip disabilities, and a low back disability. The Board found that there was no evidence of aggravation or pre-existing conditions in service.