Knee decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee and right ankle disorders are not related to his active duty service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current lumbosacral spine and bilateral knee disabilities are related to his military service, including injuries sustained from parachuting duties.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment records and scheduling a VA examination to reassess his service-connected left knee disability. The issue of TDIU will be reviewed after the additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left and right knee disabilities are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service or any increase in severity since service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral knee conditions were not associated with or secondary to his treatment during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and right knee disorder were denied as there is no evidence of chronic disability during or within one year after service, and the current disorders are not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and to schedule a hearing at the local RO.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining addendum opinions from VA examiners and obtaining records from the Social Security Administration.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination to determine if he has a right knee disorder and whether it is related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for chondromalacia of the right knee with limitation of flexion require additional development. The Veteran also needs a VA examination to assess his current level of disability due to his right knee condition, as well as determine if he is unemployable due to this disability.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of these claims, including obtaining service treatment records from the appellant's period of service in the Reserves and scheduling a VA examination for his right knee.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, tinnitus, heart disease, PTSD, arthritis, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and back disorder. The appeals were based on direct evidence of a link between each condition and service.

The evidence does not support a higher evaluation for instability of the left knee prior to March 1, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure of the Veteran to appear for his scheduled Travel Board hearing. The claims are being returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hemorrhoids was reopened and granted due to the evidence showing that her hemorrhoids had onset during active duty in the Persian Gulf.,Service connection was also established for a right knee disability, with the Board finding that the Veteran's current condition was permanently aggravated by an injury sustained during active duty for training on September 11, 2001.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since March 9, 2007. The VA has determined that he is unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine if the Veteran's right knee and low back disorders are secondary or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disorder. The case will be remanded for additional clarification from Dr. M.N.D.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis, warrants a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5260/5261 for limitation of flexion and no higher. A separate 10 percent evaluation is assigned for degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, claimed as sleep apnea, and his right knee disorder were denied. The August 2007 rating decision denying the right knee disorder is final.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right and left knee arthritis were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred in service.,Both knees are found to be normal at separation from service. The evidence does not show a link between current knee conditions and service.