Knee decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling another examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's right knee disability. The appeal will be returned to the AOJ for further adjudication.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neurological disability of the right knee is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee arthritis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder was denied as there is no diagnosed kidney disorder at any time during the period on appeal. The Board finds that additional development is required to determine whether the Veteran has a separately diagnosed cognitive disorder and, if so, whether it is possible to differentiate the Veteran's symptoms of his dysthymic disorder from those of his cognitive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee DJD, left knee DJD, and hemorrhoids were denied. The RO found that the current evaluations adequately reflected the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining outstanding private treatment records from Dr. M.S. and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has also been added.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA treatment records and worker's compensation records, which are necessary for a proper evaluation of the Veteran's claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disorder is not related to his active military service or a service-connected disability, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's arthritis of the back, hands, feet, and right knee are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to procedural issues with the increased rating claim and for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee and back disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection for left and right knee degenerative joint disease.,The Veteran is also seeking increased ratings for his depression, bilateral hip disabilities, and hypertension.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion and providing the Veteran with a new examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals to reopen claims of service connection for right knee and back disabilities, and the Board has dismissed these matters. The case is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's headaches.

The Veteran's claim for additional dependency benefits was granted with an effective date of December 1, 1995.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities have been rated as 10 percent for postoperative osteochondral defect and osteoarthritis of the left knee prior to April 21, 2015, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter. The rating for left knee instability has not met the criteria for a compensable rating.

New evidence suggests that the Veteran's bilateral knee and hip disorders may be related to his service-connected left ankle disorder, while diabetes mellitus is not shown to have been incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for DJD of the knees and for service connection for a right eye condition (claimed as a right eye vision problem) have been reopened. The claim for PTSD has also been reopened.,The Veteran is seeking an increase in his rating for DJD of both knees, while also reopening his claims for service connection for a right eye condition and PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for increased ratings and TDIU based on service-connected disabilities, including intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, sensory deficit of the left lower extremity, chondromalacia patella and degenerative joint disease of the left knee, chondromalacia patella and degenerative joint disease of the right knee. The appeal is currently pending due to a scheduling issue for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a Statement of the Case on his claim for an increased rating for left knee lateral instability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee strain is being remanded due to conflicting evidence and the need for an addendum opinion regarding the onset of his condition during active duty.