Knee decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, foot disorder, knee disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and breathing disorder are all granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, including DJD of the right knee, was neither incurred in nor aggravated by service and is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury. As such, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep disorder, hearing loss, lumbar spine spondylolisthesis with degenerative disease L5-S1, right ankle post-operative residuals, traumatic arthritis, and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome to allow for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and right knee disabilities, as well as his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (bipolar II disorder, depression) and hypertension. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

Service connection is denied for a left elbow disability.,Service connection is granted for a lumbar spine disability and post-laminectomy neck disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee disability did not have its onset during his first period of service and is not related to or aggravated by his second period of active service. The pre-existing condition was deemed to clearly and unmistakably exist prior to his second period of service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and an updated VA opinion regarding his service connection claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and left knee chondromalacia were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support additional staged ratings for any time period on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected conditions were denied. The effective dates for the compensable ratings for left peroneal nerve neuropraxia and left knee degenerative joint disease are set to May 13, 2010.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current right hip, bilateral knee, and back disabilities are related to active service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, right knee disability, and low back disability. The claim for L4-S1 radiculopathy of the left lower extremity with muscle atrophy is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for ulcerative stomatitis, cervical spine disability, and right knee condition. The Board also determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for colon cancer and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities, including diabetes and nonservice-connected cancer, did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being returned to the Board for further examination and development due to insufficient evidence in the claims file.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an addendum VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing knee conditions were aggravated by his active duty service from January 1967 to May 1967.

The Veteran's right knee disability has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to January 6, 1999 and from April 1, 1999 to December 11, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination for left knee disability, and the Veteran is advised to cooperate with this request.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disability and its relationship to his periods of active duty service. The claim will be returned for further development.