Knee decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder and left knee disabilities effective November 1, 2004. The Veteran's claim was filed within one year of separation from active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and right knee arthritis are related to active military service, thus granting service connection for both conditions. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is reopened.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a chronic back condition and granted it, finding that his preexisting condition was aggravated by an in-service injury. The claims for degenerative joint disease of the knees and shoulders are also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his limited range of motion is attributed to nonservice-connected lung cancer and post-surgical treatment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions he is seeking service connection for, and thus his claims are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gluteal cleft scar with mild loss of subcutaneous tissue was granted. The case is remanded to obtain the Veteran's service personnel records, medical records from his private ophthalmologist and left knee physician, and another VA examination for his left knee and hiatal hernia and peptic ulcer.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine if he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, as the current evidence does not provide sufficient information on this issue.

The Veteran's right knee disability, which includes a status post total right knee replacement and osteomalacia, has been rated at 30 percent since the initial grant of service connection. The Board denied an increased rating for this condition.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent for limitation of extension, with a separate rating of 10 percent for arthritis with painful flexion. The Veteran does not have instability or limitation of extension that warrants higher ratings.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during military service, and because the Veteran had filed a timely appeal on these issues. The CUE claims regarding the September 30, 2008 rating decisions are now moot.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right knee is manifested by painful motion with flexion limited to 75 degrees and normal extension. The claim for a rating higher than 10 percent has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of residuals from burns on his hands, right knee, and buttocks. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum to the February 2015 VA examination report that considers all service notations for the left knee and provides opinions on whether any chronic left knee disorder is related to service or caused by his service-connected right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action, including a TDIU referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the issues of service connection for a left knee disorder and an initial compensable disability evaluation for left tarsal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, left knee, and left shoulder disorders. The rating assigned is not specified as the decision only addresses the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for a service-connected low back disability and a service-connected right knee disability are remanded for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities. The issue of entitlement to TDIU will also be addressed.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal with respect to all issues prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA vocational rehabilitation records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.