Knee Board decisions

The Board found no current diagnosis of a left knee condition and denied service connection for hypertension due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The Veteran's hypertension was not considered a presumptive disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service event, injury, or disease that would support the claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for right hip and leg numbness and pain, now claimed as pain in right side of the body. The preponderance of evidence shows that his current diagnoses are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, and bilateral knee disorder. The diagnoses were not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and another evaluation to determine if he should receive an increased rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a right knee injury is REMANDED due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and considering new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection has been dismissed as the claims have been granted by the AMC.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability, warranting a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining emergency room records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated based on their service-connected nature, with the highest possible ratings for each knee prior to July 5, 2016, and since then. The claims are now focused on whether he was entitled to higher ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disability and its impact on his ability to work.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus at least as likely as not caused his current back, right and left knee, and right and left ankle disabilities. As a result, these conditions are granted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current right knee disability was incurred in service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's left knee conditions, including degenerative joint disease and residuals of the injury, were rated at 10% prior to January 8, 2010. The Board found no evidence warranting an increased rating under applicable criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability warrants a 10% rating, effective from the date of his claim. The decision also addressed issues related to an increased rating and TDIU.

The case is REMANDED for a new VA examination to assess the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's right knee disability, including any meniscal conditions. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right knee disorder, but assigned no effective date as the evidence does not indicate a clear date of injury or onset.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA records, providing an addendum to the May 2015 examination report, and readjudicating the appeal.