Knee Board decisions

The Veteran has withdrawn his claims for an increased evaluation for major depression and service connection for a left knee meniscal tear.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations of his service-connected right foot and left foot disabilities has been denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher evaluation for the calluses on each foot, as they are rated at their maximum under the applicable rating criteria.,A separate, compensable 10 percent evaluation was granted for degenerative changes of the right foot.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral knee disability as the result of his active duty service and therefore denies the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's knee, shoulder and low back disabilities are not related to his military service.,There is no evidence of a pre-existing condition or injury in service, and any current conditions are more likely due to natural progression of age-related degenerative changes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as TDIU, are the focus of this appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected anal fissure, tension headaches, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records, private medical records, and a VA examination for his claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's non-ischemic cardiomyopathy is not related to his service, and thus denied this claim. The remaining issues of bilateral ankle disorder, left knee strain, and right knee arthritis are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the severity of his service-connected lumbosacral spine injury with degenerative joint disease and erectile dysfunction associated with total knee replacement, right knee. The claim will be readjudicated after the additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral knee disability, degenerative joint disease, or knee replacement due to service. The evidence shows no in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions and there is no medical opinion linking these disabilities to service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 28, 2011 for a 60% disability rating for ulcerative colitis is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximate the criteria consistent with a 60% disability rating from the date of original diagnosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for external hemorrhoids and right knee chondromalacia, finding that his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations. The claim for an increased rating for cherry hemangioma of the right upper back and eczematous dermatitis of the sole of the right and left foot is stayed pending resolution of a related case in court.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and consideration of all potentially applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's GERD is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability and was granted service connection.,The Veteran's right hip degenerative joint disease is found to be aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability and was granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right and left knee disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral foot disability are not related to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and its medications, warranting service connection on a secondary basis. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's DDD and DJD of the lumbar spine are at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD and corresponding medications. The right knee arthritis is also considered secondary to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure. The low back disability, left knee disability, and erectile dysfunction are not addressed as the claims have been remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee and left shoulder disorders did not manifest in service or are otherwise related to service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Veteran is seeking to establish service connection for his left knee condition, which he claims was caused by an injury sustained during active duty. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current left knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and subluxation were granted initial disability ratings of 20 percent for the period prior to October 21, 2014.,An effective date of September 9, 2010 was assigned for the grant of a 20 percent rating for subluxation of the left patella associated with osteoarthritis of the left knee.