Knee decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee and right foot/ankle disabilities are not related to his service, and therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Board has now granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis. The Veteran's back disability is being remanded to determine if it is secondary to or aggravated by his right knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability and obtaining relevant medical records. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated after all referred issues are addressed.

The Board has ordered additional development to locate service treatment records related to a right knee injury during active duty. The appeal will be remanded for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches, bilateral knee disability, back disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for right leg disability is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records, particularly regarding her right knee disability. The left knee and low back disabilities are also under review.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and hypertension, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active duty service. The effective date is not specified as it was within one year of separation.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to his service-connected knee and elbow disabilities, as well as a psychiatric condition. The Board has determined that additional development is needed before these claims can be decided.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA treatment records and the Veteran's request for a hearing. The claims of entitlement to increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including pes planus, bilateral knee replacements, lumbar fusion, blurred vision and glaucoma (secondary to diabetes), and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities (also secondary to diabetes).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and requesting an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any sinus disability and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis, cervical spine disability, left knee mild degenerative changes, and right knee chondromalacia have resulted in a TDIU effective June 2, 2009. The RO reduced the rating for his thoracic spine disability from 40 percent to 10 percent effective January 20, 2010, but this reduction was not proper.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a Decision Review Officer hearing, and will be reviewed on the basis of additional evidence.

The Board found that there is no nexus between the current lumbar spine, left knee, lower leg skin, and foot disabilities and service. The Veteran's claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and a need for further examination regarding the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of a right knee disability and therefore, service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective September 29, 2005 due to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the appellant's periods of active duty for training and inactive duty for training, obtain VA examinations, and secure outstanding records.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, and the claim for increased ratings is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine scoliosis, status post lumbar spine fusion, with degenerative disc disease and arthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent. The RO denied an increased rating for this condition as the evidence did not show symptoms warranting a higher evaluation under the amended criteria.