Knee decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of the record, including obtaining private treatment records and providing a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed disorders.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his left knee DJD was denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all, as it concerns the assignment of a prospective post-convalescence rating.

The Board has determined that the appeal is remanded due to issues related to service connection for a right knee disorder and the character of discharge from February 1975 to June 1977. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by patellofemoral syndrome with posttraumatic osteoarthritis and DJD, has been rated at 10 percent since June 1998. The current appeal seeks an increased rating for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his back and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a video-conference hearing. The Veteran's claims for service connection and reopening of previously denied claims are pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right knee disability are being remanded for additional development as the VA examination is inadequate. The Board will consider all evidence, including the Veteran's lay statements, to determine if service connection can be granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service personnel records.

The Veteran's right knee instability is currently rated at 10 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher initial disability rating. For the period from April 20, 2011, he has degenerative joint disease of the right knee that manifested pain and noncompensable limitation of motion.

The Board has granted a 10% disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, but denied an increased rating for his right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including heel sprains, knee arthritis, ankle sprains, and low back disorder. The RO has assigned initial evaluations for these conditions, but the Veteran is seeking higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence in the April 2009 VA examination report, and the need for a new VA joints examination to determine if the Veteran's right knee disability is related to service or his service-connected left knee condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the service connection claim for a hysterectomy, as well as increased ratings and TDIU claims. The Veteran will be provided with VA examinations and an addendum opinion regarding her hysterectomy claim.

The Veteran's appeal for automobile and adaptive equipment or a special home adaptation grant is granted. The claim for a special home adaptation grant is moot due to the RO's December 2011 grant of specially adapted housing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service or service-connected conditions. The claim for PTSD was also denied as new and material evidence had not been received.

The Veteran's complaints of knee and elbow pain during service were not documented, and no current disabilities have been diagnosed. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection as his claimed conditions are not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verification of in-service knee surgery and a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to reassess the severity of his right knee disability and an opinion on whether he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities and to attempt to obtain relevant private treatment records.