Knee decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's tension headaches are related to service, but denied service connection for left knee arthritis as there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after discharge.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the ratings for his knees and scars, leaving no issues for further consideration.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a member of the Board at his local RO.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by limited flexion and extension, has been rated at 10 percent prior to September 4, 2009, and at 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, with the exception of the time period from March 26, 2012 to April 30, 2013 when he had a 100 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence. The issues include an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee instability, as well as a TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and to clarify the relationship between his current shoulder disability and service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is granted, with a 20% rating effective from May 1, 2014. The claims of service connection for neck disability, bladder dysfunction, headaches, and left knee DJD are all denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 27, 2001, for the grant of service connection for anxiety with PTSD has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability and whether it has caused or aggravated his low back disability. The case will be readjudicated after this.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hemorrhoids, bilateral knee disabilities, or bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence does not support service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus began during his active military service and is related to noise exposure. The other claims have been dismissed as withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease was granted a higher disability rating of 40 percent effective February 9, 2010. The appeal is for an increased rating and the current rating adequately reflects his symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of her lumbar spine and left knee disabilities.

The Board has received notification that the appellant wishes to withdraw their appeal regarding right knee cap dislocation, right shin scarring, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. As a result, the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis was granted service connection. The left knee disability and varicose veins claims are pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining updated treatment records. The Veteran's left knee disorder will be evaluated to determine if it is related to service or any other relevant factors.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of the claims related to his left knee conditions, including a reduction in ratings.