Knee decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case for a videoconference hearing at the RO in Wilmington, Delaware. The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and left knee arthritis are pending.

The Board found no current diagnosed left knee disability and denied service connection for the claimed condition as it did not become manifest during active duty or to a degree of 10 percent disabling since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are not related to service, arthritis did not manifest within one year of service, and they were not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in service and is unrelated to his service-connected left knee disability. The claim for service connection must be denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and right knee disorders did not have their onset in service or are otherwise related to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural deficiencies and needs further development for examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current degenerative joint disease of the left knee is related to service, as it was present in service and continues today. The VA examiner opined that this condition is more likely due to aging and gender rather than military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to address whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment that are consistent with his education and occupational experience. The appeal is now pending again.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to chest pain, and the back disability was rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records, including VA and private treatment records. The Veteran's left knee disability and bilateral ankle disorder will also be evaluated in more detail.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for clarification on hearing requests and scheduling a new hearing.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss, right little finger injury residuals, and bilateral knee disability are all related to his service. The decision grants these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disorder was granted a rating of 20 percent prior to August 24, 2010 and increased to 30 percent thereafter. The right knee and left knee disorders were each granted a rating of 10 percent initially, with the left knee receiving an additional 10 percent for instability starting from August 24, 2010. The service-connected diabetic peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities was also granted initial ratings of 10 percent prior to August 24, 2010 and increased to 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and re-adjudication, including a new examination to address concerns raised in the Joint Motion.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disorder, manifested by limitation of flexion and recurrent subluxation, and left knee disorder, manifested by limitation of flexion. The Veteran's left shoulder strain is also found to be related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a right or left knee and thigh condition that was incurred in service, as there were no documented injuries during his active duty. The VA examinations indicated current bilateral knee conditions but no evidence of thigh conditions.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial schedular ratings and extra-schedular evaluations were denied. The TDIU claim remains part of the appeal.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent for dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking and pain. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.,The Veteran does not meet the criteria for TDIU based on her service-connected right knee disability.