Knee decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule him for a videoconference hearing due to an undeliverable notice of his requested hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for additional development, including VA examinations and obtaining outstanding medical records. The claims on appeal are seeking higher disability ratings for peripheral neuropathy affecting the right lower extremity, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and left knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims but denied them on their merits due to lack of new and material evidence. The original denial remains final.

The Veteran's left knee disability is unclear, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if it is related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's ulcerative colitis and right knee condition were not incurred in active duty service, with no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his left knee disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent under applicable diagnostic codes. The low back, right hip, and left hip disabilities were found to be unrelated to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to failure to schedule a travel Board hearing. The case is now pending and will be handled expeditiously.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed low back and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to assess his right knee disability and unemployability claims, including obtaining information about his education and work history.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent due to painful, limited motion.,The Veteran's fungal infection affecting his groin and axillae (armpits) is rated at 10 percent prior to June 9, 2009. Since then, the rating has been increased to 10 percent for areas affected by the fungus.,The Veteran does not meet criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating for his fungal infection since June 9, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is more likely due to natural progression of his pre-existing condition during service, and granted service connection based on this aggravation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral leg disorder with weakness is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an EMG test and clarification of any neurological condition involving his legs.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board granted separate ratings of 10 percent for left knee arthritis with limitation of flexion and 20 percent for left knee instability from January 31, 2007, through July 15, 2009.

The Veteran's request for service connection for a bilateral knee disability has been remanded due to the failure to provide notice of a scheduled Board hearing. The Veteran was previously notified but did not receive it because his address could not be verified.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability has been denied. The current evaluation of 10% is based on painful motion, and the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5260 (limitation of flexion) or 5257 (instability/subluxation) have not been met.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, which is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability, has been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities were denied as there is no current evidence of a diagnosed disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining missing records from his military service and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.