Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and a mood disorder on the bipolar spectrum, finding that both conditions are attributable to service.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of an injury to the right foot. The Veteran's left knee and lumbar spine disabilities are pending, as is his claim for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran has requested to withdraw all of his claims due to receiving a total disability rating based upon unemployability (TDIU). As such, the Board dismisses all issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder and ACL insufficiency of the right knee. The claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of laceration of the lower lip was also denied.,No new evidence or changes in law have been provided to support reopening any previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the Veteran's remaining claims can be decided. Specifically, the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present left knee disability, right and left ankle disabilities, right and left upper extremity neuropathy, cervical spine disability, and right knee arthritis.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for back, hip, and knee disabilities. The Board has determined that additional records are needed to fully evaluate the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee and bilateral ankle disabilities are not related to his military service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, including patellofemoral syndrome and patellar tendinitis, finding that the evidence supports this conclusion.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, including residuals of osteoarthritis and total arthroplasty. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted since May 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left knee disability and service connection is denied. For the lumbar spine disability, the Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between the condition and service, thus granting service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied her claim. The remaining issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's widow has withdrawn all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee DJD, as well as for right and left knee instability, were denied by the RO. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance due to knee braces is denied as the Undersecretary for Health did not certify that the knee braces caused wear and tear to his clothing.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his low back and left knee conditions, were not of such severity prior to March 13, 2012, to render him unemployable. Therefore, an earlier effective date for the TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance in 2014 was denied because his knee braces do not qualify as a prosthetic or orthopedic appliance that tends to wear or tear clothing, and the medication used does not cause irreparable damage to outer garments.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.