Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability and any related scars.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of newly submitted evidence.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by postoperative residuals with exostosis, is rated at 10 percent prior to November 1, 2015 and at 30 percent as of that date. The Board found no evidence of incapacitating episodes or other compensable limitations.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his military service and thus denied service connection for all issues.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a left knee disorder and denied service connection for it. The claim of right knee disorder was also denied, but this denial is final as the Veteran failed to timely file a notice of disagreement regarding the March 2010 decision.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is service-connected, but his bilateral ankle, calf, and knee pain was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.,There is no current disability for the ankles, calves, or knees.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and providing the Veteran with a more current VA examination to assess his bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis on a secondary basis. The right and left knee disorders are not considered incurred or aggravated during active service, while the right and left foot disorders have no evidence of onset in service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the increased ratings for his right knee disability and entitlement to TDIU. As a result, these issues are dismissed.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability and degenerative joint disease of the right knee are not service-connected. However, his shortening of the right lower extremity is found to be due to a pre-existing right ankle disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is not related to his active service, and therefore does not warrant service connection.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is not related to the Veteran's active service and is not secondary to his service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee disorder, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, did not manifest during his period of service and is not otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is not related to his active service or a service-connected right ankle disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right lower extremity disability, including his service-connected right knee condition and other aspects of the limb, does not meet the criteria for a higher rate of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing for issues of service connection for bilateral knee conditions and a lumbar spine condition. The issue of service connection for sciatica remains inextricably intertwined with the pending claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability and lumbar spine disability, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected partial tear left Achilles tendon due to insufficient explanation in the September 2011 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees is not related to service or any incident therein, and was not manifested to a compensable degree within one year following service discharge.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability and right knee disability, but denied hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for right hip, knee and leg shortening disabilities are being remanded as additional VA examinations are needed to determine their etiology. The service connection theory is secondary due to the service-connected right leg disability.