Knee decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with an effective date of September 18, 2007. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss and eye disorder was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to August 30, 2012 and in excess of 70 percent thereafter remains on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been withdrawn. The Board will dismiss the appeal of these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right knee injury residuals is dismissed. The Board has granted his application to reopen a claim for service connection for a lung disability, but no rating decision has been issued yet.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred or aggravated by service.,His acquired psychiatric disorder (likely depression) is not attributable to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disability and upper respiratory infection were not shown to be related to service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and right knee disabilities are service-connected, with no issues regarding exposure to herbicides or other presumptive conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right knee was incurred in service, and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of entitlement to service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct a VA examination. The issues are whether he should receive an increased rating for his service-connected tibia and fibula fracture, and if he qualifies for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination as his right knee disability has worsened since the last examination.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral knee disabilities. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of his current bilateral knee disabilities and remands the case for this purpose.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders, diagnosed as chronic strains, are due to his military service and service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, resulting in the grant of TDIU effective June 1, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting the grant of SMC based on this need.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his claim for increased evaluations of service-connected hearing loss, low back disorder, and right knee disorder were not substantiated by the evidence presented.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left knee conditions, a hernia in the abdomen, and a left hand condition due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's right knee disability and its relationship to service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling for traumatic arthritis. The Board has granted a separate 20 percent evaluation for dislocated semilunar cartilage of the right knee, effective from the date of the claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected disabilities were denied. The initial non-compensable and 10 percent ratings assigned to the right hand, left hand, bilateral pes planus, and right knee disability have been restored.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.