Knee decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examinations and opinions regarding his right knee condition and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of onychomycosis of the right toenail and his right knee disorder is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active military service. The appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right ankle sprain with osteoarthritis has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an opinion from a VA vascular surgeon regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected right foot injury caused or aggravated his DVT of the right lower extremity, and if so, whether it is at least as likely as not that this aggravation resulted in amputation of the right leg.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain service treatment records, provide an examination and opinions regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right knee disability, and address whether his congenital defect incurred a superimposed injury during or due to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his major depression and other psychiatric disorders, have caused him to be unable to obtain and sustain a substantially gainful occupation as of September 11, 2011.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip disabilities on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's service-connected low back disability. The issue of whether the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is also related to his service-connected low back disability and/or bilateral hip disabilities is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disability, and left knee disability was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability in either ear during his period of active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including an examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability and its impact on employment. The TDIU claim will also be developed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and examinations related to her psychiatric disability, left shoulder and right knee disabilities, left ear hearing loss, and foot disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining outstanding medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's knee, back, and hypertension disorders. The Veteran will be provided another opportunity to submit private evidence or authorize VA to obtain it.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and need for examinations.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn for several issues, and service connection for a left knee disorder (arthritis) is granted. The issue of severance of service connection for extraction of tooth #8 due to periodontal disease is also addressed.

The Veteran's initial claims for higher ratings for shrapnel wounds and scars have been denied. The lower extremity muscle disabilities are rated as 10% each, while the upper lip scar is rated at 0%. The scars causing limitation of function of the knee are also rated as 10%.,The Veteran's service-connected shrapnel wounds have not met criteria for higher ratings under DCs 5311 and 5312. However, separate 10% ratings were assigned for each leg based on muscle Group XI disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions and additional evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right knee strain and service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral ankle and knee disabilities are not shown to be related to his service, or to have been caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's left knee disabilities, including arthritis and a history of instability, are currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his service-connected conditions.