Knee decisions — 2012

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable, and the Board grants a TDIU rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee and right knee disorders were not related to military service, resulting in denial of these claims. The Veteran was granted a noncompensable rating for his service-connected left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and a right knee disability were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection in these cases.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is unrelated to his in-service injury and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain private medical records and ensure all necessary evidence has been considered.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the earliest available opportunity.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and any recent VA outpatient treatment records. The claims will be remanded for these actions.

The Board found no current disability of the left knee, bladder or gastrointestinal system. The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any complaints, symptoms or diagnoses related to these conditions during his active duty. VA examinations and treatment records also failed to identify any such disabilities. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain VA outpatient treatment records and clinical records from the Veteran's service period, as well as any private or employment records that may support his claims. The Veteran will be given an opportunity to respond to these requests.

The Board found no evidence of a current left knee disorder related to the Veteran's service, thus denying her claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on both PTSD and degenerative arthritis, right knee claims prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluation of his right knee disability, as well as secondary service connection for left hip and left knee conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development including a new VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his active service or any service-connected disabilities.,The Board granted an initial compensable evaluation of 10% for right knee osteoarthritis/degenerative joint disease (DJD) and chondromalacia, effective from March 22, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU rating was denied by the Board, as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 25, 2005.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis of the left knee is service-connected. The Board has remanded to determine if his right knee osteoarthritis is secondary to his service-connected left knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability. The issues of diabetes mellitus, increased rating for residuals of right tibia fracture, and reopening of peripheral neuropathy of lower extremities are also being addressed.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding all issues on appeal, including those related to service connection for various conditions and exposure claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current left shoulder, left knee, or low back disabilities for which service connection can be granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to evaluate his service-connected disabilities. The issues of increased ratings for low back pain, left knee sprain, and traumatic brain injury are also being addressed.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for her right and left knee chondromalacia was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.