Knee decisions — 2018

The Board has received additional relevant evidence since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case and is remanding the case to allow for consideration of this new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his anterior cruciate tear, status post reconstruction, left knee is being remanded due to the need for consideration of new evidence and issuance of a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of bilateral knee disability and psychiatric disability. The Veteran's hepatitis C claim is denied as it did not result from VA care or treatment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability manifested by tingling and numbness of both legs and feet, cervical spine disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, bilateral knee disorder, or depression or other acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are denied as secondary to service-connected mechanical low back pain.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating prior to April 1, 2013, and in excess of 10 percent therefrom, for right knee disability was granted. The effective date is not specified as the increase occurred on April 1, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for heart disability, right knee disability, and right plantar and calcaneal spurs. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure leading to current tinnitus, but no direct or presumptive link between his current heart disability and Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found that the reduction in rating for mechanical low back pain from 20% to 10% was improper due to failure to apply proper procedural requirements. The claim of service connection for a left knee disability is reopened based on new and material evidence received since the October 2006 decision. With reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran, her left knee disability is found to be related to service.

The RO granted the claim for service connection for left knee disability in an August 2017 rating decision, but as a result of this grant, the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining STRs and arranging for an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities. The claims will be readjudicated following completion of the requested development.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and a mood disorder on the bipolar spectrum, finding that both conditions are attributable to service.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of an injury to the right foot. The Veteran's left knee and lumbar spine disabilities are pending, as is his claim for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran has requested to withdraw all of his claims due to receiving a total disability rating based upon unemployability (TDIU). As such, the Board dismisses all issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder and ACL insufficiency of the right knee. The claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of laceration of the lower lip was also denied.,No new evidence or changes in law have been provided to support reopening any previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the Veteran's remaining claims can be decided. Specifically, the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present left knee disability, right and left ankle disabilities, right and left upper extremity neuropathy, cervical spine disability, and right knee arthritis.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for back, hip, and knee disabilities. The Board has determined that additional records are needed to fully evaluate the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee and bilateral ankle disabilities are not related to his military service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, including patellofemoral syndrome and patellar tendinitis, finding that the evidence supports this conclusion.