Knee Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, right knee arthritis, tinnitus, and hearing loss of the right ear. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities, as well as service connection for left knee instability, osteoarthritis right knee, osteoarthritis left knee, and right knee instability. The Veteran's claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities other than panic disorder was denied. The Board found that the Veteran is not unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities other than her panic disorder.

The Veteran's sinusitis has been rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,The Veteran's chondromalacia of the patella of the right knee has been rated at 10 percent, reflecting painful motion and limitation in flexion.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left and right shoulder conditions, as well as his bilateral knee conditions. The conditions are considered to have had their onset during active service.,No specific rating or effective date was assigned in this decision.

The Board has remanded multiple issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates, including bilateral hearing loss, collar bone disabilities, hip disabilities, shoulder impingement syndrome, knee conditions, ankle sprains, foot contusions, and elbow scars.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding secondary service connection for right knee disability, which may be related to left knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeals were improperly placed on the AMA Hearing Docket and should be re-docketed under the Legacy system. The Veteran is advised to file a VA Form 9 if he wishes to continue his appeal.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, lumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings on multiple service-connected disabilities and TDIU has been withdrawn. The Board dismissed the appeals as the Veteran withdrew his claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service connected.,The Veteran's left knee disability is remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are granted as directly related to his military service. The issues of blood clots in bilateral legs and obstructive sleep apnea have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing from appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, right hip, bilateral knee, and right foot disorders due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an examination to assess the severity of her service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back pain, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, right knee damage, and left knee damage due to issues with scheduling VA examinations while the Veteran is incarcerated.

The Veteran's back, left hip, and right knee disabilities are granted service connection. The Veteran's left and right shin disabilities do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's shin splints and degenerative arthritis of the knee were denied increased ratings, as they did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, PFB, knee disabilities, and hip disabilities, were denied. The Board found that the medical evidence did not support higher ratings based on the criteria provided in the rating schedule.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee scars effective August 19, 1997. The Veteran's claim was not earlier than this date as the period for filing a Substantive Appeal had not yet begun to run due to an incorrect mailing address.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore grants his claim for total disability based on individual unemployability.