Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities had their onset during his period of service and grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and clarifying the nature of his knee disorder claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and non-VA medical records, as well as a psychiatric examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims and granted service connection for a low back disorder and bilateral knee/leg conditions, finding that new and material evidence supports these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the current disability does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral knee or ankle disorders and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board found that the interruption of vocational rehabilitation benefits was proper due to the Veteran's failure to maintain satisfactory conduct and cooperation, as well as his inability to achieve a feasible employment goal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, neck, and bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service. The thyroid disability is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure but the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected knee disorders and his current left knee arthritis.

The Veteran's bilateral pes cavus, right and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome, and hypertension were initially granted service connection in March 2006 with noncompensable ratings. The claims for increased ratings have been remanded multiple times.,For the period prior to October 6, 2010, the Veteran's bilateral pes cavus was rated as noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the claims due to issues with obtaining inpatient hospital records and converting the Veteran's separation audiogram. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee strain or a rating in excess of 20 percent for the left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disabilities, including arthritis, post-operative meniscectomy residuals, and instability. The examiner must address functional impairment due to repetitive use or flare-ups, differentiate between the effects of these disabilities and other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., and provide a rationale for any opinions.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling further examinations. The case will be reconsidered in light of all the evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The claim is now considered on its merits.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was found to have its onset in service and is granted as service connected. The right knee disability, PTSD, and TDIU claims are all granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee ligamentous instability. The issue of direct or secondary service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions he is seeking service connection for, and thus, his claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining recent treatment records and readjudicating the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records, as his last VA examination was from 2011.