Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a left knee disorder and vision disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for her left knee condition, which she contends was caused by her right knee degenerative arthritis with chondromalacia. For her vision disorder, she asserts that it is related to military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, right hip and right knee disabilities as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability due to conflicting medical opinions. The VA will obtain additional records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine if there is a link between his service-connected right ankle disability and his current right knee, hip or back conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims were denied in a February 2006 rating decision. He filed to reopen the previously denied claims on January 10, 2011, and they were granted effective from that date.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examination opinions and requests for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings for his right and left knee injuries, as well as an increased rating for his right ankle disability. The case was previously before the Board in November 2016, where it was remanded for further development including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of prostate cancer has been reopened, and the issues of service connection for left and right knee conditions have been remanded.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities are granted. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney indicating a wish to withdraw his appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD with panic disorder is granted a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of this decision. Ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of both knees remain at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for the residuals of his right knee meniscectomy based on limitation of motion was denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residual scarring from his right-knee meniscectomy was also denied. The VA examiner noted that the scars were neither painful nor unstable.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound status, thus his claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound status is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities have been rated based on their symptoms and functional impairment, with a separate rating for instability since September 12, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and private medical records. The issues of entitlement to initial compensable evaluations for various service-connected disabilities are being remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues including the evaluation of knee disorders, service connection for a low back disorder, and an initial rating for adjustment disorder. The effective date for service connection is also being reviewed.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the claims by the Veteran through his attorney.

The appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death, and no service connection decisions are made as a result.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied in September 2013 and not reopened.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease was reopened due to new evidence, but the claim remains denied as there is no link between the condition and service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection for epididymitis was denied because there is no current diagnosis of the condition related to service.,The Veteran's claims for residuals of left above the knee amputation and right below the knee amputation secondary to hypertensive vascular disease were both denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection for hearing loss was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back and left knee disabilities due to new evidence. However, it is denied as there is no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.