Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing current disability. The claims for left shoulder DJD, impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear and bursitis, right rotator cuff injury with bursitis following surgical convalescence, and right knee post-operative chondromalacia are remanded as additional examination is needed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 60 percent since November 1, 2008. The case is remanded for consideration of a TDIU prior to July 24, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or asbestos exposure. The effective date remains unchanged at the moment.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted service connection, and effective May 10, 2012. The rating for his lumbar spine disability is also granted on that date. However, the issues of increased ratings for shoulder strains, lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle sprain, cervical strain, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome are remanded as new VA examinations are needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was denied in December 2002 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to support the claim, so it is not new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer was denied in December 2006 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence relates to an unestablished fact (a link between a current disability and an in-service injury) necessary to support the claim, so it is new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right foot bone chip fracture was denied in March 2003 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to support the claim, so it is not new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral eye disability was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as the rating for degenerative arthritis in both knees. The Veteran's appeal is granted due to a timely notice of disagreement filed regarding these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.,Service connection is denied for right hand, left hand, and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating and extension of temporary total disability benefits are granted. The Veteran is entitled to a separate 10 percent disability rating for left knee instability, effective February 27, 2015, and an extension of the temporary total disability rating through April 30, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to his assertion of worsening service-connected disabilities and the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders with arthritis due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The claim of service connection for bilateral knee disability is reopened and remanded due to the need for a VA medical opinion on whether the condition is related to service, secondary to back or psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to a lack of a VA examination, and requests that he provide records from any treatment providers.

The Veteran's right knee conditions have been rated and the ratings for limitation of extension, ligamentous laxity, and dislocated semilunar cartilage are granted. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability is granted from June 7, 2010, and an extraschedular TDIU is granted from October 14, 2009. The ratings for ligamentous laxity and limitation of extension were restored to their previous levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and his hypertension is rated as noncompensable. The Veteran's PTSD, patellofemoral pain syndrome of the knees, and tinnitus are all currently rated appropriately. The appeal is remanded for further development on issues related to service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his claimed lower back disorder, right hip disorder as secondary to a lower back disorder, and right knee disorder as secondary to a lower back disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including left and right hand disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, as the evidence did not establish a relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disorder (secondary to posttraumatic arthritis of the right knee), hypertension, cepahlgia, cervicothoracic spine disorder, thoracic spine disorder (low back condition), bilateral hip condition, and left sciatic radicular pain have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for these conditions are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings in September 2018, and the Board has dismissed these claims.

The Board denied reopening the claims for right hip and right leg disorders due to lack of service connection.,The Veteran's fall at a VA facility did not meet the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 as his injuries were not caused by care, treatment or examination provided by VA.