Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back and left knee disabilities due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for additional development.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss was granted. The issue of a compensable disability rating for the left knee scar, post-cyst removal, is still pending and remains denied. The Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss has been successful.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the receipt of additional VA treatment records and examination reports. The AOJ will consider all evidence in the first instance before readjudicating the claims.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed for the right knee disability claim, as there are missing private medical records from the Veteran's orthopedic surgeons.

The Board has determined that the evidence is not in favor of service connection for a back disability, right knee disability, bilateral eye condition, bilateral hearing loss disability, or tinnitus.,VA will need to obtain additional medical records and possibly conduct further examinations to determine if there are any connections between the appellant's current disabilities and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition was not incurred in or related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, knee, and thigh disorders due to incomplete compliance with previous remand instructions regarding obtaining his service records. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain any outstanding treatment records from military hospitals in Korea and VA facilities.

The Veteran's right knee disability, which was previously characterized as patellofemoral syndrome, has been recharacterized after a partial meniscectomy. The claim for an increased rating is denied because the flexion of the right knee does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's right knee condition. The effective dates of service connection have been granted.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis as of February 8, 2007 due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities making it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his employment history and medical evidence did not support a conclusion that he was unemployable.

The claim for a higher rating for the service-connected left knee replacement with scars is denied as it cannot be rated higher than 60 percent. The claim for SMC based on loss of use of the left foot is also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The right knee pain and acquired psychiatric condition are related to her service-connected back, left knee, and right hip disabilities. Tinnitus is presumed due to in-service noise exposure. Bilateral hearing loss has not been established as a disability.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, including synovitis, arthritis, gout, and pseudogout, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to service.

The Veteran's service-connected undiagnosed skin disorder, manifested by skin flushing, was granted. The issues of increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder and tension-type headaches, as well as the cervical strain with degenerative disc disease prior to January 28, 2020, and patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee with osteoarthritis remain pending.

The Veteran's attorney withdrew the appeal seeking a rating in excess of 30 percent for his right knee injury, and the Board dismissed the case.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, finding that there is at least a 50% probability that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder and right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in their original decision. The case is sent back for further development, including a new examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for various shell fragment wound residuals due to inconsistencies in effective dates and proper consideration of schedular criteria.

The Veteran's right, left knee, and shoulder conditions are granted as service-connected.,Service connection for rhinitis is denied.