Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of various knee disabilities and major depressive disorder have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals during the hearing.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with no evidence of worsening since the last examination in August 2009.,Prior to January 9, 2017, the Veteran's cervical spine scar and left hip scar were each rated as noncompensable. After January 9, 2017, both scars are rated as 10 percent disabling due to their painful nature.,The Veteran's left knee disability was initially granted a 10 percent rating from September 1, 2009 through February 2, 2010. After this period, the Veteran is not entitled to an increased rating beyond 10 percent.,No new evidence of service connection or exposure basis was provided in this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his back disability is denied. The claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as the TDIU claim are remanded due to new evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and remanded the issues of service connection for a bilateral foot disability and psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD. The Veteran's claims are being returned to VA for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis on the basis that it was aggravated by periods of active duty training in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a typographical error in the description of the claims on appeal and because the Veteran identified relevant outstanding private treatment records. The VA will request these records.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent for limitation of motion, and separate ratings are granted for symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage (10%) and recurrent subluxation or lateral instability (20%).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee arthritis, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his right knee condition, previously claimed as total knee replacement surgery, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current disability and his military service.

The Veteran's current osteoarthritis of the right knee is related to his in-service injury, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for pes cavus, hammertoes, bilateral knee disability, and back disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service or aggravated by his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee retropatellar pain syndrome were denied as the evidence did not show any of the required criteria for higher ratings, including ankylosis, recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, dislocated semilunar cartilage, symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage, limitation of flexion to 30 degrees or less, limitation of extension to 10 degrees or more, impairment of the tibia and fibula, or genu recurvatum.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities as the evidence did not show they were incurred in or caused by military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The left knee disability was rated as 10% disabling, and the right knee disability (including degenerative joint disease and semilunar cartilage removal) was also rated as 10% and 20% respectively.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing these conditions began during active duty or were related to military noise exposure.

The Board has denied a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection of left-wrist, cervical-spine, low-back, and left-knee disorders due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has not yet made a decision on the claims and is returning them for further development due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed for the claims of left knee degenerative changes and right knee scar, as well as the TDIU claim prior to September 15, 2016. The Veteran will need to provide authorization for VA to obtain private medical records from St. Clare's Hospital in Sussex, New Jersey, and any relevant VA treatment records.