Knee decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now pending before the Board.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability and thoracic spine disability are not related to service or service-connected conditions, resulting in a denial of these claims.

The Veteran's right knee focal neuropathy is currently rated at 10 percent, and his right knee instability and medial meniscus tear residuals are each rated at 10 percent. The Veteran has not been granted higher ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and left knee disabilities, finding that the current conditions are more likely than not related to the Veteran's military service. The right knee disability is considered secondary to his service-connected right knee condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and opinions regarding his right hip disorder, left knee, cervical spine, and lumbar spine disabilities. The claims are not yet decided.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at a non-compensable (10%) level, effective April 17, 2010. The evidence shows that the Veteran experiences pain and limited range of motion in his left knee.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is found to be related to his in-service parachute jumps. His lumbosacral spine disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and VA treatment records. The appeal will be reconsidered after the additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is causally related to his in-service exposure to noise. The left knee disability issue remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot neuropathy is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition. The issue of service connection for a back disability and bilateral knee disabilities are referred to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to obtain missing service treatment records and personnel records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disability will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, arranging for a mental disorders examination, and considering whether staged rating of PTSD is appropriate.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disability and granted service connection for disabilities of the bilateral hips, knees, ankles, and feet. The Veteran's arthritis is found to be related to his in-service obesity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and knee disabilities, were denied. The Board found no valid medical diagnosis of the claimed disabilities based on invalid symptom reports.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection were denied. His right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is service connected as a direct result of an in-service injury, and his bilateral knee disability is also service connected. However, there is no evidence to support the claim for a bilateral upper extremity disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for his bilateral elbow, knee, and wrist disabilities are being remanded due to inconsistencies in the medical evidence. A Persian Gulf War examination is needed to clarify whether these conditions should be considered as undiagnosed illnesses or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted service connection, with a rating of 10 percent.,Ratings for right and left knee Osgood-Schlatter disease are denied. The Veteran has mild instability in both knees.