Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis related to an acquired psychiatric disorder, and thus service connection for this condition is denied.,The Veteran's left eye loss of visual acuity claim requires additional evidence as there are no current records showing a diagnosed condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder, finding that his current right knee arthritis is not related to an in-service injury or disease and is not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected left knee arthritis.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, cervical spine disorder, and hypertension due to inadequate examination and development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the effective dates are not specified. The ratings assigned for obesity and hypertension remain unchanged.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied as there is no evidence of unemployability prior to June 14, 2010.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for right knee, left knee, and lower back disabilities due to new evidence received since the final rating decisions. The claims are reopened but further medical examination is needed.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right knee disability was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee degenerative joint disease is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's low back disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected left femur fracture and total knee replacement, with the total hip arthroplasty.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital were denied because the emergency treatment was not necessary due to his own delay in seeking VA care, and there were feasible alternatives available.

Service connection is granted for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left knee injury (now status post left total knee replacement), and chronic headaches.,The Veteran's bladder disability appeal was withdrawn during a hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence to support her assertions of in-service injury or a current disability related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, as well as his claim to reopen the left knee disorder, have been granted. The appeal regarding a rating in excess of 20 percent for neck disc problem, a compensable rating for post-traumatic headaches, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are denied. Service connection has also been denied for PTSD, left elbow disorder, and left knee disorder.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities, including back, right hip, and knee disabilities. The main reasons are the inability to determine if these conditions were incurred during active duty due to incomplete personnel records from the Air Force Reserve and Army National Guard, and the need for further examinations to assess whether current disabilities are secondary to service-connected foot and ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral chondromalacia patella is no longer present due to total knee arthroplasty in 2010. The claim for a compensable rating for this condition has been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a right knee and right leg disability, left knee and left leg disability, and lower back disability due to lack of evidence establishing an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at a 10 percent rating for limitation of flexion and a separate 20 percent rating for meniscal condition with frequent episodes of joint locking, pain, and effusion.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as additional development is needed to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities and nonservice-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete development.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to April 3, 2014, for the award of service connection for a right knee injury is denied. The January 1981 rating decision denying service connection was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.