Knee decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities were denied. The RO found that the current disability levels did not warrant higher ratings based on the evidence of record.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current left ankle disability and his claimed conditions are not related to service. As such, service connection for a left leg disability is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and an acquired psychiatric disability have been granted, effective December 9, 2005. The appeal is dismissed as the issues are no longer in dispute.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for his fourth metacarpal fracture and service connection for right knee disability and acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim for TDIU was also addressed but not decided.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee disability did not manifest during service and is unrelated to any incident therein, thus denying service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination of the Veteran's right knee and to readjudicate his claim on the merits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of chronicity during service or within one year post-service. The VA examinations did not find a nexus between current conditions and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The claims will be readjudicated after the additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations.,Specifically, the Veteran needs to provide information about his in-service treatment for a head injury from a motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran's appeal is granted. Service connection for sleep apnea, right knee degenerative joint disease, and posttraumatic headaches are all established. The reduction of the disability rating for right knee instability from 10% to noncompensable effective February 1, 2010 is upheld. An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for posttraumatic headaches is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and further examination of the Veteran's current conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current bilateral knee disability or right wrist disability as a result of active duty, ACTDUTRA, or INACTDUTRA. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA disability determination records. The issues of increased rating for right knee disabilities and TDIU are also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a VA examination and consideration of new evidence. The Veteran's right knee disability is being evaluated in relation to his service history.

The Board found that the reduction of the disability rating for service-connected left hip arthroplasty status-post left hip septic arthritis with secondary degenerative joint disease from 50 percent to 30 percent was improper and restored the prior 50 percent rating.

The Board has determined that new VA examinations are necessary to accurately assess the Veteran's left knee disability and tinea unguium, as her claims have been pending for over five years. The case is therefore REMANDED.

The Veteran's atopic dermatitis is rated as 10 percent disabling since November 23, 2009. The Board finds that the criteria for a higher rating are not met.

The Veteran seeks service connection for low back, right hip, and right knee disorders that he claims are secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The Board finds the evidence raises a theory of entitlement on a secondary basis and remands for further examination.