Knee decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected hearing loss, PTSD, and right knee disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee osteoarthritis and degenerative meniscal tear, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the disability and service or service-connected left knee disorder. The back condition issue remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis, a nervous disorder, sleep apnea, and left knee degenerative joint disease were denied. The Board found no evidence of these conditions in service or within the presumptive period following service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability did not begin during service or was otherwise caused by her active duty. The claim for PTSD was also denied as there is no evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for left knee, right knee, left hip, and right hip disabilities, as well as an increased rating for residual ligament laxity of the right ankle. The Board has dismissed these appeals.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is found to be related to her service, and she is granted service connection for this condition. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not shown to be related to her service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claims for depression and right knee patellofemoral syndrome with osteoarthritis has been granted. However, the claims are not decided on their merits as there is no current disability found.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability has been reopened and granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability originated during his period of active duty due to noise exposure in service.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain VA treatment records from the VAMC in Miami, Florida. The case will be returned for further consideration.

The Veteran's claim for initial and separate compensable ratings for left knee strain with a lateral nodule, as well as left knee instability, is granted. The initial rating of 10% has been assigned for the strain condition, while a separate 10% rating is granted for the instability.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain based on the Veteran's in-service injuries.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back pain and bilateral knee disability, finding that there is insufficient evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to outstanding VA treatment records and verification of claimed stressors.

The Veteran's right knee chondritis of the patella was granted an increased rating to 10 percent, effective April 1, 2008. The claim for service connection for sinusitis was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right knee replacement and DJD have been granted increased ratings, with the highest available rating of 60% for each condition effective October 1, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's postoperative residuals of internal derangement of the right knee, effective from November 6, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities and sleep apnea are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure, but granted service connection for hypertensive heart disease. Other claims were either not addressed or denied.