Knee decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to damaged records from the Social Security Administration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records, including those from his VA treatment. The Board also requests an opinion on whether his lumbar spine disability is related to service or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's left knee disability was noted at service entry and did not worsen as a result of military service; arthritis of the knee was not manifested within the first post-service year.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to attend a scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted as it was incurred in active service. The other claims are pending and will be addressed further.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, skin disorder, and right knee disability due to conflicting evidence regarding service dates in Vietnam. The Veteran's claims are being remanded for these examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The case will also be referred to the Director of Compensation Services for extraschedular TDIU consideration.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right knee disability or a disability manifested by difficulty breathing that is related to service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of left knee meniscus tear status post surgical repair are service-connected. The arthritis claim is also granted as it is related to his pre-existing condition aggravated by service. Other claims remain pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle and right knee disabilities are at least as likely as not caused by her service-connected low back disability, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected disabilities have been granted and are in effect since the date of claim. The Board is remanding to obtain updated medical evidence regarding the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected VA pension benefits prior to April 4, 2001 was denied as he was gainfully employed.,For the period after April 4, 2001, there is insufficient data provided by the Veteran to determine his annual income and thus the criteria for payment of any VA pension benefit have not been met.,The effective date earlier than December 21, 1999, for the grant of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee was denied as the Veteran has failed to provide information regarding his income.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete medical records and need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disability and remanded it to determine whether new evidence supports this reopening. The claims for left hip, cardiac, and bilateral knee disabilities are still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, providing a new VA examination of the right knee, and readjudicating the claims.

The Board has remanded the case for a more definitive medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran's claim will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's right knee disability, diagnosed as patellofemoral pain syndrome, resulted in noncompensable limitation of motion. The Board found that the criteria for a 10 percent rating have been met.