Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities due to a lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are service-connected and granted.,Degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine with degenerative disc disease and disc extrusions is not rated higher than 40 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated private treatment records and SSA disability records. The VA examiner will also be asked to assess the current severity of his left knee disability, including any flare-ups or functional loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee torn anterior cruciate ligament, status post medial collateral ligament surgery is denied as the highest schedular rating has been assigned.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, neck, and stomach disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding service connection for right knee disability. The Veteran's lay statements and in-service complaints are considered, along with a new examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Veteran's surgical scars of the left knee are not manifest by an area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater and do not result in any disabling effects.,The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, other than persistent somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain, is secondary to his service-connected residuals, left knee strain. The issue has been remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for collarbone, right shoulder, and bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The case is now pending further development.

The Board has decided to remand two issues related to patellar tendonitis of the left and right knees, as additional development is needed due to lack of joint stability testing.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for a scar of the left elbow, service connection for bilateral pes planus, and service connection for his knee disabilities are being remanded due to lack of substantial compliance with prior Board instructions. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board has granted a higher rating. The other issues have been resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed for the claims of PTSD, broken right hand, left knee injury, TBI, and scar on the back of the head. The Veteran will need to provide updated VA treatment records and undergo examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, assess whether any diagnosed right-hand disabilities are related to his service-connected PTSD, evaluate the etiology of any left knee conditions, clarify whether the Veteran has a TBI, and determine if there is a scar on the back of his head. The claims will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that there is no evidence of any in-service injury or disease related to his current condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and sustaining a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 27, 2005.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination reports, and a new medical opinion is needed to address the appropriate standard for claims of service connection based on aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to comply with prior remand directives.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided are inadequate and requires further examination to determine if the Veteran's disabilities were caused or aggravated by service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip disability, left hip disability, back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not constitute an employment handicap, and he is gainfully employed in a suitable position. Therefore, VR&E benefits are denied.