Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for posttraumatic arthritis, left knee injury, with chronic anterior ligament insufficiency status postoperative prior to February 18, 2013 was granted.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence of a current kidney, foot, or leg disability noted during the pendency of the appeal. The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's combined evaluation of service-connected disabilities is 90 percent, meeting the threshold requirement for TDIU.,His gastritis is rated at 10 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right wrist disability has been granted. The appeal for service connection for right knee patella femoral syndrome was withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing new VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's knee and back disabilities as well as his depression.

The Veteran has withdrawn all issues on appeal, including those seeking service connection for various conditions and disabilities. The Board does not have jurisdiction to further consider these matters.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA medical opinions regarding hypertension and herpes. The Veteran's claims of right knee disorder, left knee disorder, hypertension, and herpes are currently under review.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims, particularly regarding his right shoulder, left knee, and bilateral feet conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to determine if his knee conditions pre-existed service and were aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for glaucoma is granted. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence shows that the Veteran's current disability of glaucoma is etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right knee disability and TDIU claim have been granted. The Veteran is now rated at 60% combined disability due to bilateral knee disabilities, which are of common etiology.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and bilateral knee conditions are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The VA examiners concluded that any current hearing loss and knee disabilities are more likely due to natural aging processes rather than service events.

The Board dismissed the motion for revision of a November 19, 2015 decision based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) because there was no final denial of benefits to review.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his claim for increased ratings were not supported by the evidence of record. The Board found that prior to April 30, 2013, he did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability and that from April 30, 2013 to September 3, 2013, he did not meet the criteria for a separate rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee instability. The Veteran's total left knee replacement was also found not to warrant an increased rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for left knee, right knee, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded this case for additional development, including a comprehensive vocational assessment and functional capacity evaluation to determine the Veteran's ability to perform in his occupational field given his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left knee disability, finding that the evidence does not support such an increase.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain Social Security Administration records and VA treatment records, as well as an examination for the Veteran's knee, shoulder, back, and neck disorders. The appeal will be remanded to allow these actions.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present knee disabilities, including whether they are related to service or a service-connected disability. The case is remanded for this purpose.