Knee decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive retinopathy was granted with an effective date of March 9, 2006, the date she was first diagnosed.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of this case as he is no longer alive.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee meniscus tear is not caused or aggravated by his military service and thus denied service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for an examination of the Veteran's knee disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability, manifested by limitation of motion to 65 degrees of flexion due to pain, does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to assess the Veteran's right knee disability and provide retrospective medical opinions regarding her history of flare-ups.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated at 10 percent for removal of semilunar cartilage (meniscectomy) and a separate 30 percent rating is granted for limitation of motion due to painful flexion.

The Board has ordered a remand for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder and right knee disorders.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his VA treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right knee disorder have been granted service connection. The left knee disorder and hemorrhoids were denied as not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and determine whether they are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for the increased ratings of his service-connected left and right knee disabilities was denied as it is not factually ascertainable that an increase in disability occurred within a year prior to the January 20, 2010, claim for increase.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral cataracts. The Veteran's current diagnosis of congenital bilateral cataracts is not related to service, nor are his acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee disorder, or bilateral foot disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, bilateral knee disorder, and right shoulder disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's character of discharge from service for the period prior to February 2, 1991 was not a bar to VA benefits. However, his subsequent service during and after this period is considered dishonorable, thus barring him from receiving VA compensation benefits for any diseases or injuries incurred or aggravated during these periods.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeals for the issues of service connection for right wrist, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right knee disabilities. The Board does not have jurisdiction to review these appeal.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder, right knee disability, hypertension, low back disability, and several other conditions. The Board has ordered remand for additional development to ensure the claimant is afforded due process and that new VA examinations are conducted.

The Veteran's left thigh disability, including a gunshot wound and femur fracture with partial meniscectomy of the knee, is rated at 60 percent from August 3, 2017. The Veteran also has a compensable scar on his left thigh.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial evaluation for his scar status post ventral hernia repair was granted. The claims for service connection for left leg disability and pseudofolliculitis barbae are pending, with the latter requiring further development.

The Veteran's current migraine headaches are etiologically related to an in-service injury, specifically a blast exposure during deployment to Iraq. The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's headache disability.