Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service onset. Service connection was also granted for bilateral hearing loss, but only as a result of combat exposure rather than an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her left and right knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not show that either condition warranted a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee osteoarthritis. The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's current knee disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a current VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability, as the prior examination was conducted nearly three years ago.

The Veteran's Raynaud's phenomenon, breast masses (fibrocystic breast disease), and bilateral knee disabilities have been established as service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is related to his period of service or caused by or aggravated by his service-connected residuals of a left ankle fracture.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee arthritis is related to a pre-existing condition aggravated by service, and thus grants service connection for this disability.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for respiratory, low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities are being REMANDED due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and adjudicating the TDIU claim. The issues of rating excess disability for left internal malleolus fracture and right knee osteoarthritis with scars are also pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, with separate ratings for degenerative arthritis and symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage. The claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent from January 29, 2009 for other impairment of the knee is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected right knee degenerative joint disease, including whether a separate rating is warranted for instability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to a lack of medical examination opinions addressing the etiology of his current knee conditions, as well as for additional development of the record.

The Board has determined that the duty to assist the Veteran has not been fully met with regard to his claims for service connection for bilateral hip and knee disabilities. The case is being remanded for another VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct link between his current conditions and his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but the Board has found that he should be granted separate ratings for noncompensable limitation of motion (flexion limited to 110 degrees or better and full extension) and slight instability.,For his right CTS, the Veteran's condition most nearly approximates incomplete paralysis of the major median nerve with no more than mild impairment. For his left CTS, it is also rated as having no more than mild impairment.,The Veteran's bilateral cortical cataracts are currently rated as noncompensable and do not meet criteria for a compensable rating.,PTSD has been granted service connection effective August 27, 2012. The Veteran's PTSD most nearly approximates occupational and social impairment with an occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder and the increased rating claims regarding the knees. The Board also found that there is sufficient evidence to support service connection for left hip osteoarthritis and lumbar spine osteoarthritis.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for higher disability ratings for his service-connected knee disabilities, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review these issues.