Knee decisions — 2012

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, varicose veins, bilateral legs, heart condition, and bilateral eye disability. The Veteran did not have current diagnoses of these conditions at the time of the decision.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the current nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee disorder, including a VA examination for this purpose. The appeal will be remanded to allow for such development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury, low back disorder, chronic acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and MDD), and left ankle disorder. The decision found that his current conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right knee disability, hearing loss of the right ear, and tinnitus. The issues were found to be not supported by clear and unmistakable evidence that the conditions preexisted service or were aggravated by service.

The Board has ordered the RO to take several actions, including obtaining medical records from providers and arranging for a VA examination. The case is being remanded to ensure these actions are completed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination of the knees to assess range of motion and any additional functional loss.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence. The issues include service connection for tinnitus, an increased rating for right knee disability, and a compensable rating for right ankle disability.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and anxiety), and a right knee disorder. The claim to reopen the low back disorder was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection was not granted for the acquired psychiatric disorder or the right knee disorder as there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and a bilateral knee disorder, but denied the claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The Veteran's claims are remanded to consider his contention that his current condition is more severe than what was contemplated by the March 2007 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability caused his right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and chondromalacia of both knees are being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and arranging for a VA examination of his left knee disability. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings. This includes obtaining medical records, arranging for a VA examination, and determining if there are any other relevant issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, residuals of left knee injury, and GERD are all service-connected as they were first manifested during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the RO. The issues of service connection for left knee disability, increased rating for degenerative disc disease with spondylosis of the lumbar spine, and increased rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity associated with degenerative disc disease with spondylosis of the lumbar spine are on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and an inadequate statement of reasons for rejecting a December 2005 VA opinion. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with these issues addressed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities are being remanded to the RO for further development, including consideration of new evidence submitted since the September 2011 supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including instability and limitation of motion, is currently rated at 10 percent. The appeal has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hip and knee disorders, as well as his bilateral ankle disorders, were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The disorders were also not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.