Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining complete service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination and clarification on whether he still desires a DRO hearing. The current severity of his right knee disability will be assessed.

The Board found no evidence of a right knee disability that manifested to a compensable degree within the presumptive period, was etiologically related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, and is not proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee meniscus tear, status post right knee meniscectomy is related to military service and grants the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disability and increased ratings for his right knee internal derangement and right hand foreign object, finding no current diagnosis of a low back disability and that the existing disabilities do not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's service connection claims for urticaria, seasonal allergic rhinitis, and right knee degenerative joint disease have been granted. The Veteran is currently rated at 10% for his right knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities, specifically degenerative joint disease and left knee instability, have been rated at 20 percent for the former condition and 10 percent for the latter. The Board found that these ratings were appropriate based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the knees and ankles were denied by the Board.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's bilateral foot disorder, left knee disorder, upper back condition, and bilateral ankle condition. The claims for low back condition and right foot neuroma were also denied as new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen them.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to inadequate examination reports and the need to consider his increased rating claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a right shoulder or left knee disability, and therefore service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's combined disability rating of 70 percent, effective June 1, 2010, is being remanded for further action. His claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is also being remanded.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities each manifest as moderate disabling, warranting a 20 percent rating for each knee under DC 5262.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing due to the Veteran's request and will handle it in an expeditious manner. The issues include reopening a claim for service connection, entitlement to increased rating, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee and lumbar spine disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during service, and therefore denied these claims.

The Veteran's appeal on the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition has been withdrawn.

The Veteran is granted a 100% rating for residuals of right knee unicompartmental replacement arthroplasty from December 17, 2008 through January 31, 2010. From February 1, 2010, he is granted a 30% rating for the same condition. The extension of a temporary total rating beyond February 28, 2009 is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted. The Board found that the Veteran had current tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure.,For the other conditions, the evidence did not establish a nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection, finding that there was no evidence of a right knee disability or heart disability due to in-service herbicide exposure. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left knee disabilities were found not to warrant higher ratings.

The Veteran's DM and hypertension are service-connected. The claim for headaches, bilateral foot disorders, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder is reopened.