Knee decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition, to include as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for depression has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hair loss has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and a right knee disorder, finding that the symptoms did not manifest in or are otherwise related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining employment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a separate compensable disability rating for right knee instability is being remanded due to conflicting reports of right knee instability and the need for further examination.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds that these conditions alone render him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the case due to ambiguities in previous opinions and a need for clarification on the etiology of any current right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left and right knee disabilities are not related to his military service or his service-connected right ankle disability, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, as the VA examiners found that his disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left knee or hip disorders for VA purposes and therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his service-connected left ankle and left knee disabilities, which prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment. The Board granted the claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee disability is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after his active duty service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the current left knee disability was proximately caused by VA care, treatment, or examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a right wrist disability. The new evidence submitted does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of various joint disabilities were denied. The Board found that the earliest date entitlement arose was November 6, 1998, when the Veteran filed a claim for increased ratings and reexamination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative joint disease and medial meniscectomy, is rated at 10 percent. The claim for an increased rating has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional VA and private treatment records, as well as SSA disability records. A VA examination will be scheduled for the Veteran to determine if his current left ankle and bilateral knee disabilities are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability warrants a rating of 10 percent for arthritis and another 10 percent for instability, resulting in an overall 20 percent rating.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and development are necessary before the claims for service connection can be decided.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral knee disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with another VA examination to determine the current diagnosis of his knee pain since service.