Knee decisions — 2017

The Veteran's right hand disability claim was reopened, and he is now rated at 60% for his right knee disability. His TDIU claim has also been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, right carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine conditions are not related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability. The current osteoarthritis of the right knee is found to be related to his in-service parachute jumps.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated at 30 percent each, reflecting the severity of his symptoms without meeting higher criteria for more severe ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability. The Veteran's current right knee condition is related to his in-service injury, and the evidence supports this finding.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus did not have onset during service or were caused by service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's right-sided Bell's palsy is found to have its onset during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is also found to be related to service.

The Veteran's disability of the right knee, including his meniscal condition and arthrosis, has been rated at 20 percent since December 1973. The Board finds that a higher rating is warranted due to the Veteran's symptoms of frequent episodes of joint locking, pain, and effusion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, to include as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, has been granted in an August 2015 rating decision. As the issue is moot due to this grant of service connection, it is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, combined with other disabilities, does not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's right knee condition, diagnosed as patella baja resulting from a delay in treatment by VA, qualifies for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The preponderance of evidence is against finding that any of these conditions are related to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete medical records and need for additional examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her IBS, arthritis of the low back, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The appeals are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and left hip disabilities are not caused or aggravated by her service-connected right knee and back disabilities, thus denying her claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder. The Veteran's account of in-service stressors and symptomatology is credible and highly probative. Service connection is granted based on the presumption of soundness.

The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia, IBS, left knee disability, right leg disability, low back disability, and sleep apnea have been denied as they are not service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for scheduling a videoconference hearing before a member of the Board due to missed hearings and conflicting address information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to missing documents and the need for new VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to a lack of consideration of weight gain during in-service convalescence and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities are being evaluated again with an appropriate VA examination.