Knee decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not sustain a traumatic brain injury during service, and therefore does not have residuals of such. The claims for degenerative joint disease affecting both hips and knees are also denied as they do not involve service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a hearing before a third Veterans Law Judge. The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and right knee disability are pending.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's right knee arthritis, status post total knee replacement, was incurred during his active service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the Veteran's unavailability for a VA examination. The case will be returned to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right knee disability. The claim is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and consider secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney disease and TDIU. The Veteran was found not to have a current disability related to kidney disease, and his combined rating did not meet the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck, low back, bilateral hip, and bilateral knee conditions are not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected foot disorder.

The Board found that a cervical spine disability was incurred in service and granted service connection for it. The lumbar spine, left leg (including ankle and knee disorders), right wrist, right knee, and right arm disabilities were not shown to be related to service or any presumptive exposure basis.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his degenerative arthritis of the bilateral knees and enlarged prostate with urinary frequency were denied. The Veteran's hemorrhoids are rated at 10 percent, but not compensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development and adjudication due to incomplete medical opinions and missing SSA records.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for left knee instability and found the Veteran's current range of motion does not warrant an increased rating. The Veteran remains in receipt of a 10 percent rating for pain and flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, right knee disorder, and left and right foot disorders were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination of his right knee disability, specifically focusing on range of motion testing and instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and left knee osteoarthritis began in service and have persisted since then, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease prior to October 6, 2010 was found to be manifested by pain and limited motion. The current rating of 10% is adequate as it accounts for the Veteran's symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues with VA examination reports and new claims not yet perfected.

The Veteran's right elbow disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are each rated as non-compensable. However, the Veteran's lip scar is rated at a compensable level of 10 percent.,The Veteran meets the criteria for a 10 percent evaluation for his lip scar.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing left knee disability did not increase in severity during service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, bilateral wrist disability, bilateral knee disability, left ankle disability, bipolar disorder, and a low heart rate. The appeal is dismissed.