Knee decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board or videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to address the relationship between his current knee conditions and in-service incidents.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back and left knee disabilities are not related to his military service, nor is there sufficient evidence to establish a secondary relationship between these conditions and his service-connected shrapnel fragment wound of the left leg. As such, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and back disabilities are etiologically related to his active duty service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorders did not warrant evaluations in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's right knee disability, postoperative and degenerative disease, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and because his TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with his increased knee rating claim.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a left knee disorder and granted service connection, finding that the Veteran's current left knee disorder is causally related to his in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling an updated audiological examination and issuing a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) addressing his disagreement with initial ratings assigned to his bilateral knee arthritis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical, lumbar, and bilateral knee conditions are related to his service as a paratrooper. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for postoperative right and left knee strains was withdrawn prior to the Board's decision. The issue of whether the Veteran filed an adequate and timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with respect to service connection claims was dismissed as untimely.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with spondylosis and degenerative joint disease of the right knee are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and increased ratings for her left and right knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus to service or aggravation of pre-existing conditions. The Veteran's complaints were found to be within normal limits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss and knee disabilities. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new VA examination. The issues include increased evaluations for service-connected lumbar strain, arthritis of the left knee, and meniscal tear of the left knee.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and medical records. The issues include seeking an increased rating for lumbar strain, service connection for left hip and knee disabilities, and determining if these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for his service connection of right and left knee disabilities, finding that the claims were not filed until after the initial decisions.

The Veteran's right knee disability was not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by any service-connected disability. The left knee disability prior to February 4, 2009, and October 1, 2009, is manifested by no more than flexion limited to 120 degrees as a result of pain and functional loss.