Knee decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip, knee, and ankle disabilities are secondary to his service-connected low back strain.,Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, effective January 24, 2013. The Veteran's claims for other conditions remain pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities are not related to his active service or National Guard service.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for her right knee disability prior to August 29, 2005 was denied. From October 1, 2006, to May 4, 2014, the Veteran's claims were also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to report for a VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed to determine if his diagnosed arthritis of the knees had its onset in service or is etiologically related to service.

The Board has remanded this claim for a new VA opinion concerning the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral knee disorder, to include as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of current hearing loss or eye condition disabilities, and there is no direct service connection established.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a videoconference hearing and the need to ascertain his current address.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hip disorders, finding new and material evidence. The conditions are found to be secondary to his service-connected left knee injury with arthritis.,Service connection is granted for right and left hip disorders as secondary to service-connected left knee injury with arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that there are no current disabilities for any of the claimed conditions, and thus service connection is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee scar, but denied service connection for low back disability and left knee disability other than the scar. The Veteran's claim of service connection for left knee disability is addressed in the remand portion.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, which is now granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities related to his claimed right shoulder, left shoulder, left wrist, index and middle fingers, right knee, right ankle, bilateral foot disorder (including cold injury residuals), or low back disorders. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board denied service connection for right knee and right ankle disorders, finding no evidence of current conditions related to the Veteran's military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is related to his in-service injuries while playing football, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's right knee/leg disability is not deemed to be due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on VA's part. The Board finds no additional disability.

The Board found that the cause of death, subdural hematoma due to blunt head trauma, was not service-connected as it did not result from a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service. The Veteran's PTSD and other disabilities were not determined to have contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected left and right knee traumatic arthritis are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess functional loss during flare-ups and proper range of motion testing.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her service-connected left knee disability is partially granted with the assignment of a temporary total 100% rating from May 25, 2012 to June 25, 2013. The case is remanded for further development and readjudication.