Knee decisions — 2017

The Veteran's tinnitus was related to his active duty service and granted service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back and right knee disorders are not service-connected as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or post-service continuity of symptoms. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to arthritis.

The Board found no evidence of a left knee or left foot disability during service, and the VA examiner opined that any current osteochondral defect in the left knee is not related to service. The Veteran's large heel callous was also deemed unrelated to service.,There is no documented in-service injury or complaint regarding the Veteran's feet. The VA examiner concluded that his foot numbness during service was due to radiculopathy, and thus not related to any current callous.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining in-service treatment records and providing a new opinion on the etiology of his knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional examination and development of records, particularly related to the Veteran's left knee strain.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for increased ratings for a right knee disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right leg/knee disability, left knee disability, and low back disability are not service-connected.,There is no evidence of any chronic conditions in service or post-service that would support a grant of service connection for these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding records and further examination.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as he is service-connected for a single disability rated at 70 percent and has a combined rating of 90 percent. The right knee disorder claim is remanded due to the need for an additional VA opinion.

The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 20 percent prior to January 28, 2015 and increased to 30 percent from March 1, 2016 for residuals of total left knee replacement.

The Board denied an extraschedular evaluation for service-connected bilateral pes planus from April 29, 2014. The Veteran's disability picture was found to be adequately contemplated by the rating schedule.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and extent of any right knee disability. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has decided that the case needs further development and remands to obtain additional medical records, especially those from VA. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disorders is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for readjudication.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left knee disability, including degenerative joint disease, is at least as likely as not due to his pre-existing condition and was aggravated during a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA). The opinion provided by VA medical personnel supports this finding.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and private medical records, ensuring all notification letters are associated with the file, and readjudicating the claims.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right knee disorder and finds that new evidence received since the May 1959 rating decision is sufficient to establish that the Veteran's preexisting right knee disorder was aggravated by service. As such, the claim is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a tender scar on the left knee is granted. The Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran has a current disability (a tender scar) and that this condition is related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining new VA examinations and retrieving any outstanding medical treatment records. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus of the right ear, and service connection for a bilateral knee disability are being remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder and a right hip disorder, as new and material evidence has been received. The skin condition is not shown to be related to service, headaches are not shown to be incurred in or aggravated by service, and there is no diagnosis of a left shoulder condition.