Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining inpatient treatment records from Germany and private medical records from Baptist Hospital. The Veteran's right knee disability is being reviewed to determine if it had onset during service or was caused by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and denied his claim. For the right knee disability, additional development is needed to determine if the preexisting condition was aggravated beyond its natural progression during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various knee, shin splints, shoulder, finger fracture, and foot conditions have been denied. The evidence does not support the assignment of higher ratings based on current functional impairment or other diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 4th ed., that is related to a verified stressor event.,The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as there is no competent evidence establishing that the condition is related to disease or injury or other event in active service. The first manifestation of diabetes mellitus type II occurred many years after service separation and it was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, cervical spine, and low back disabilities were denied as the evidence did not establish current diagnoses or a link to service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for further examination and consideration due to his incarceration at the time of a scheduled VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a chronic low back disorder or bilateral knee disability that was incurred in service. The VA examiner found no link between current degenerative joint disease and service, including the single episode of back pain during service.,Regarding hearing loss, the Veteran's post-service medical records show sensorineural hearing loss, which is presumed to have been incurred due to noise exposure during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disability and decreased sensation in the right lower extremity, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher schedular ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's arthritis of both knees and osteoarthritis of the left little finger have been granted service connection. His hearing loss has been increased to a 20% rating effective from September 6, 2012.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence and a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a sleep disorder, and increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities are inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Veteran's right knee disability was rated at 20 percent for limitation of flexion, and a separate rating of 10 percent was assigned for limitation of extension since September 24, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and addressing whether the Veteran's left knee disability is related to his service-connected right knee disability or if it was aggravated by that condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's right knee disability due to potential flare-ups, additional limitation of motion on repetitive use, and instability. The Veteran will be provided with a new examination report.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings were granted, with a 30 percent rating assigned for the post-operative incisional scar and muscle injury of the right thigh with retained foreign bodies, as well as a 30 percent rating for scars and a muscle injury of the left thigh and tibia, below the knee, residual muscle hernia and popliteal space.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective July 30, 2003. The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected chondromalacia patella of the left knee is currently rated at 10 percent, and no higher rating is warranted based on current evidence.

The Veteran's claims for extensions of temporary total ratings due to convalescence following his April 2008 left knee arthroscopy and February 2009 chondral allograft transplantation were denied as there was no evidence of severe postoperative residuals requiring further convalescence.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of all issues on appeal.