Knee decisions — 2012

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal in its entirety.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a right above-the-knee amputation, which he claims was caused by an ankle injury during active duty. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the etiology of his amputation.

The Veteran is granted service connection for residuals of an avulsion fracture of the left ankle and osteoarthritis of the left knee, both found to be directly related to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing at her local RO. The issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for chondromalacia of the patella with degenerative joint disease and meniscus tear, right knee remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, and left knee disorder as secondary to presumed in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right hip, and right knee were granted initial ratings of 10 percent effective May 10, 2004. Effective October 27, 2011, a rating of 20 percent was assigned for the Veteran's service-connected low back disorder.

The preponderance of the evidence shows that the Veteran's left knee symptomatology more closely approximated severe recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, warranting a 30 percent disability rating from January 20, 1999, to January 17, 2008.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and hepatitis C are not related to his active service.,However, the Veteran's right foot disability is considered incurred in service.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 10 percent prior to January 27, 2011 and increased to 30 percent as of that date. The rating for the retropatellar pain syndrome remains at 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to his active service and denied his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a left leg below the knee amputation, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure or in-service onset. The Board also found that the amputation was not caused by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining her complete treatment records from the Birmingham VAMC and scheduling an appropriate VA examination for her right knee.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development of his TDIU claim, including consideration of all service-connected disabilities on employability.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing at the RO, and the Veteran's claims of service connection for migraine headaches, left knee disability, and right elbow disability will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for vocational rehabilitation benefits as he already has a suitable job and does not have an employment handicap.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining National Guard service records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and likely etiology of any left knee disorder. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also being reviewed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, schedule her for a VA examination, and adjudicate the claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and opinions regarding his right knee disabilities and their relationship to his hip and back conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right knee disability is likely due to an injury sustained during basic training in January 1971, and grants service connection for this condition.