Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disorders were not incurred or aggravated during service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a videoconference hearing before the Board. The issues of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, anxiety, right ear hearing loss, chondromalacia of both knees, and bilateral restless leg syndrome remain unresolved.

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

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and left knee arthritis are found to have onset in service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current back and leg disabilities are not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of chronicity in service or initial diagnosis after service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities do not warrant a higher evaluation as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between his claimed conditions and his military service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome was onset during active service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of an increased rating for left knee degenerative arthritis is addressed in a separate remand.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability and assigned an effective date of January 28, 1997. The effective dates for loss of smell and lumbago with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine have been set at August 22, 2000.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the left knee is not related to her military service or her service-connected right knee disorder, and thus cannot be granted service connection.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current bilateral ankle condition and her military service.

The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at 50% from June 1, 2009 through September 29, 2010. Service connection for right and left knee disabilities is granted. The Veteran's TDIU claim prior to September 29, 2010 is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his right knee disability, including degenerative arthritis of the right knee joint status post surgery, is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling an examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The Veteran is now entitled to increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and mood disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of periods of active duty and inactive duty training, and a VA examination to determine the relationship between his current disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to appear for a scheduled videoconference hearing. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for status-post right knee replacement.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his level of education and occupational experience.