Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a back injury, right knee injury, forehead scar, jungle rot, and TBI are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incident that could be linked to these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability (depressive disorder) is granted. The Board finds the Veteran likely sustained a mild traumatic brain injury during service which contributed to his diagnosed depressive disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine DJD and IVDS, left knee DJD, right knee DJD, and right ankle tendonitis as they did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right hip fracture has been reopened and granted. The claims for left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis, left ankle degenerative arthritis, and right ankle arthritis are still pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service onset or chronic conditions during service. The Veteran's current knee conditions are not linked to his military service.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his right knee service connection is granted, but the appeal for this issue remains pending as it was remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative changes of the left knee is also remanded due to inadequate etiology opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee arthritis effective January 10, 2013, the date of the Veteran's initial claim to reopen his previously denied claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected right knee strain due to inadequate examination findings and the need for further testing.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, but did not find it material or sufficient to reopen the claims.

The Veteran's patellofemoral syndrome of the left and right knees was rated at 10% prior to June 26, 2017. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on flexion or extension limitations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her left and right knee conditions due to a lack of recent medical evidence, and requests that she undergo another VA examination.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C was granted with an effective date of November 17, 2011. The Board has reopened the previously denied claim and assigned a 20 percent rating for hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not related to his military service, and thus denied service connection for this condition.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran's current diabetes mellitus to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee osteoarthritis and instability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of his conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since January 26, 2016. The Board has granted a TDIU rating on both schedular and extraschedular bases.

The Veteran's rating for degenerative arthritis of the left and right knees was denied as his knee disabilities do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5260.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and its related complications, have been denied as they are not shown to be due to exposure to herbicides or any other in-service event.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for diabetes mellitus, PTSD, left knee disability, and duodenal ulcer was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of occupational and social impairment warranting an increased rating.,The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as there is no evidence showing he is unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand several of the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records as well as Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Board has remanded several issues for further action, including a new VA examination for the right knee disorder and preparation of an SOC for other claims.