Knee decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and updated treatment records. The claims will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's lower back, hip, and knee disabilities are being remanded for additional medical opinions to determine their etiology. The right ankle disability is also being remanded for a new examination to assess its current severity.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to assess his service-connected knee conditions. The appeal will be remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and found that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is related to his period of active service, including in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's knee disabilities are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his right and left knee conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with her educational and vocational experience, and the Board finds that she is unemployable due to her service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee, right knee, and right ankle disabilities are not related to service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability is service connected as it is related to a condition manifest in service, specifically a meniscal tear. The evidence does not clearly and unmistakably show that this condition pre-existed service or was aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a supplemental VA medical opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability and updating the claims folder with recent treatment records. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder, left calf, left hand, left thumb, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, and left knee disorders are not service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was rated at 40 percent, but not higher. His left knee disability and acid reflux were not found to be related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for a VA examiner to provide an opinion regarding the relationship between any current left and right knee/leg disabilities and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her service treatment records and VA treatment records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a left knee condition and found that new and material evidence has been received. The issue is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, a lower back injury, a bilateral knee disability, and hypertension have been denied. The Board has dismissed the claim for skin cancer due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection and the Veteran's Osgood-Schlatter disease.

The Veteran's need for aid and attendance of another person is established, but the RO needs to determine if his service-connected disabilities alone are sufficient to render him in need of such assistance.

The Veteran's hypertension and right knee condition are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his hypertension and a new examination for his right knee.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is July 15, 1998.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to his military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for thyroid cancer secondary to asbestosis, entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disability, entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, and entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for posttraumatic arthritis of the bilateral thumbs are addressed in the Remand section.