Knee decisions — 2015

The most probative evidence shows that a service-connected disability contributed to the Veteran's death from congestive heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and coronary disease. The Board finds that this meets the criteria for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left knee disability was granted with an effective date of July 7, 2005. The Board found that the criteria for a 20 percent rating were met within one year prior to the July 7, 2005 claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability had its onset during active duty service and granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for DJD of the bilateral knees and cervical spine, as the previous opinions are deemed inadequate.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and residuals of left knee surgery, as well as his claim to reopen a previously denied claim for bilateral hearing loss. The Board also found that he was not entitled to TDIU due to lack of any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, to include as secondary to service-connected residuals of frostbite to the right and/or left foot, is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his current bilateral knee condition.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to insufficient consideration of new evidence and a failure to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC). The Veteran's claims for service connection are now pending again.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities, including loss of range of motion during flare-ups or repetitive use.

The Veteran's left knee disability, rated as 30 percent disabling since December 14, 2009, is now rated at 60 percent effective from December 14, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The claims of service connection for PTSD, pneumonia or bronchitis, and left knee disorder are pending.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current right knee disability to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's TBI claim is denied as there was no objective evidence of a TBI during service.,Service connection for tension headaches is granted as they are related to his service-connected GERD.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have onset during active service or was caused by his military service, including as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis is also granted service connection.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by subluxation and lateral instability, does not warrant a higher evaluation as the evidence does not more nearly reflect severe impairment. The claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis was initially granted with a 10 percent evaluation effective from June 18, 2010. The RO subsequently assigned the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis a noncompensable evaluation prior to December 18, 2006 and a 10 percent evaluation on or after December 18, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities, as well as his cervical spine disability and residuals of an injury to the second MCP joint of the right hand, are currently evaluated at their current levels. The Board finds that none of these conditions warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is required to determine if the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability caused or aggravated his bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that the evidence supports such a determination.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.