Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and left hamstring disabilities were incurred during active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to an undeliverable supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) sent to a former address for the Veteran. A copy of the April 2013 SSOC must be resent to the Veteran's current address.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability does not warrant a combined rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease and lumbar spine minimal scoliosis with moderate degenerative disc disease and mild degenerative joint disease. The Board has ordered additional development to consider new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's initial increased ratings for left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities have been denied.,Compensable ratings are not warranted for the right and left knee disabilities prior to February 28, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and arranging for examinations to assess the severity of his depressive disorder and left knee disability. The TDIU issue will be adjudicated last.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD, right knee disability, and right hip disability are not related to his period of active service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU based on his service-connected right knee disabilities. The issues related to an increase in rating were not fully addressed, particularly regarding functional impairment due to flare-ups.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder and degenerative disc disease are related to his active service, granting his claims for these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling the Veteran with a VA examination to address his left knee disability and psychiatric disorder claims.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability was not present during service or within one year of active service, and it is not caused by or related to any incident of service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disorder is not causally or etiologically related to his service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including knee injury, thoracic spondylosis with scoliosis, migraine headaches, and cognitive dysfunction due to TBI, preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantial and gainful employment. The Board grants a total disability rating for individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral wrist and elbow disorders have been granted.,The Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine and right knee disabilities are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was implicitly denied in the August 1995 and March 2000 rating decisions, as no appeal was filed within one year of these decisions. The effective date cannot be earlier than October 20, 2004.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for right ear hearing loss, right knee disorder, or a back disorder due to lack of evidence showing such conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, tinnitus, residuals of bilateral hip and knee injuries, sleep apnea, and boils/abscesses in the groin region due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active military service.,For each issue on appeal, the VA examiners found no direct link between the claimed condition and training or service. The Board also noted that post-service records did not show any treatment for these conditions until many years after release from training.

The Board is remanding the Veteran's claim for a VA medical opinion to address whether his left tibia/left knee osteochondroma existed prior to service and if any increase in disability was due to natural progression of the disease or aggravated by service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for low back, left hip, and psychiatric disabilities. However, the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and additional development is required.