Knee decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed lumbar spine, left knee, right knee, head injury residuals, right hip, left hip, and cervical spine disorders are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to attend a previously scheduled hearing. The case will be returned for scheduling an in-person hearing before a local regional office.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's current right knee condition, including osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease with loose bodies of the anterior knee, is related to his military service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a current disability in any of these conditions as per VA standards. For PTSD, the Board found that the Veteran's stressor was credible and linked to his military service. However, for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees, the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee ACL reconstruction has been primarily manifested by pain, limitation of motion and early degenerative joint disease. The Board finds that the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and foot disabilities, were not shown to be causally related to his active duty service. The evidence did not establish a nexus between any of these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hip and left knee disabilities, diagnosed to include arthritis, are related to his service. The right knee disability is not related to service as there was no evidence of chronicity since service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and post-service medical records.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his low back and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations, updated treatment records, and further development of the evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the receipt of additional pertinent evidence. The claim will be adjudicated again with consideration of this new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine whether his right leg disability, including poor circulation, gout, arthritis, and blood clots, are related to the service-connected fracture of left femur with history of osteomyelitis and degenerative joint disease of the left knee. The TDIU claim will also be remanded for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity with a surgical scar and assigned a 20 percent disability rating, effective January 22, 2010. The Veteran's residuals from the status post-contusion of the left knee are rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip, bilateral knee, and low back disabilities are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records from her TRICARE providers.

The Veteran's claims for a low back disability, hypersomnolence, left and right knee disabilities, and TDIU were denied. The Board finds that service connection is not warranted for the claimed conditions.

The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder effective October 30, 2015. The Veteran's claim was reopened on new evidence and the effective date is set at that time.

The Board found no evidence of a right leg disability or right knee injury during service and concluded that the current disabilities are not related to service. The Veteran's statements regarding in-service injuries were deemed unreliable.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated during service. The claim of secondary service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is not addressed as it is related to the left knee disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee degenerative arthritis are granted, with effective dates set at October 5, 2011.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for right and left knee disabilities, but remanded to obtain additional evidence and provide a medical opinion.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and hearing loss disability, finding new and material evidence. Both conditions are now considered to be related to active duty.,Service connection is granted for right knee traumatic arthritis.