Knee decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling of VA examinations and issuance of a Statement of the Case on his claims for increased ratings for right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's tension-type headaches are rated at 10 percent, effective August 1, 2009.,Service connection for a deviated nasal septum is established.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left foot plantar fasciitis is granted, and his service connection claims for low back disability and left knee disability are granted. The claim for service connection for left foot numbness remains pending.

The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia was rated as 10 percent disabling during specific periods, but the Board found no evidence to warrant an increased rating for any of these periods.

The Veteran's neck, right leg, and right knee conditions are being reviewed due to the need for additional medical records and examination. The case is REMANDED for these purposes.

The Veteran's application for individual unemployability benefits has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left hand and right hand, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, peripheral neuropathy of the right foot and left foot, and degenerative disc disease. The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted.

The Veteran's cervical strain with traumatic arthritis is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the applicable rating criteria. The remaining conditions have either not been granted or are denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of left and right knee arthritis, finding new and material evidence. However, it was determined that these conditions were not incurred or caused by his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability. However, the preponderance of evidence is against these claims as they are not related to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for nonservice-connected pension and denied service connection for tonsillitis. The Veteran's claims of service connection for a right toe condition, left hip condition, and left knee condition are remanded due to lack of medical records.

The Veteran is currently diagnosed with DJD of the right knee and has testified that she sustained a right-knee injury during service. The Board finds in favor of granting service connection for a right knee disability on a direct basis.,VA examinations have not provided an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disability, including any patellofemoral syndrome, is related to her service-connected spinal disability or if it was aggravated by her service-connected right knee disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current lumbar, cervical, right knee, and right carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities are not related to his military service. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions did not originate during or as a result of his in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative joint disease (djd) of both knees, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities were granted a rating of 20 percent each, effective October 10, 2010. The previous ratings of 10 percent for both knees prior to this date have been maintained.

The Veteran has tinnitus that is the result of disease or injury incurred during active military service. The Board finds the Veteran's statements regarding an in-service onset of tinnitus to be credible and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, right knee disability, left knee disability, and coronary artery disease (CAD) with stent and myocardial infarction. The appeal was also denied regarding a temporary total disability rating based on need for convalescence due to right knee surgery, as well as initial ratings for GERD and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and the obtaining of outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is granted. The issues of lumbosacral strain, right and left hip sprain, right and left knee arthritis, and bilateral pes planus are dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a right arm and shoulder condition, neck condition, back condition, right wrist condition, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left knee conditions, as well as right and left lower arm and wrist conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination.