Knee decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the RO due to his request.

The Board has remanded the case due to a hearing officer's departure, and the Veteran is requested to provide testimony before the Board at the RO.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and scheduling a medical examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated after the referred issues are addressed.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee disorders are not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran is granted a rating of 40 percent for limited extension of the left knee from May 18, 2012. He was previously rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5260 until May 18, 2012.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate opinions in his VA examinations and new evidence is needed.

The Veteran's right knee disability, post-operative meniscectomy with degenerative joint disease, is currently rated at 30 percent. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his functional impairment and objective findings do not warrant more than the current 30 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and review of medical records.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's right knee chondromalacia, status-post arthroscopy with synovectomy and chondroplasty, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and bilateral hip disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including myofascial pain syndrome, impingement syndrome, and right rotator cuff tendinopthy, is granted. The claim of service connection for fibromyalgia has been withdrawn. Service connection for left knee disorder is reopened due to new evidence received since the last denial in 1998. Service connection for right ankle disorder is also reopened.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is found to be the primary cause of his left knee degenerative joint disease, and thus he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional development of the record is necessary due to incomplete examination reports and missing SSA records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's personnel records, VA treatment records, and a supplemental opinion regarding his tinnitus. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to reassess the severity of his right knee degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to her service-connected right knee disability.,Her left knee disability is not directly related to service, but rather due to overcompensation for the service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities, particularly bipolar disorder, right knee disability, and right fifth finger disability. The goal is to determine if these conditions render him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness, and service connection for thoracic muscular strain (previously claimed as a thoracic spine disorder), prior to August 31, 2011.

The Board found that the termination of the separate 10 percent rating for right knee laxity, effective December 1, 2010, was proper based on evidence showing sustained improvement in the Veteran's condition following his total knee replacement.