Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disability and eye disability.

The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for a right knee disorder, as it is due to normal aging and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's back disability is related to his period of active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining treatment records from correctional facilities. The issues of service connection for right knee disability and left knee disability (claimed as secondary to the right knee) are pending.

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee to 40 percent effective August 1, 2010.

The Board has decided that the case needs further development to determine if the Veteran's right knee disability is related to his service-connected left knee disability and whether it was caused or aggravated by this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is mixed, with some issues granted and others denied. The Veteran has a higher rating for left knee osteoarthritis status post lateral meniscectomy but not for his hip strain. He also received a separate rating for dislocated semilunar cartilage from December 14, 2009 through January 15, 2014. However, he was denied higher ratings for left knee status post total arthroplasty.

The Veteran's combined rating for all service-connected disabilities is 80 percent, meeting the threshold criteria for a TDIU. The Board finds that he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful occupation due solely to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral vision loss, a psychiatric disability (anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder), chronic headaches, sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis of the right shoulder, arthritis of the left shoulder, low back disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, arthritis of the right knee, arthritis of the left knee, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have been denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has also been denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right knee disorder and his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the reductions of the Veteran's left knee disability ratings from 20% to 10% were improper and void, as there was no material improvement in his condition. The original rating for the left knee medial meniscectomy is restored at 20%, effective May 1, 2011, and the rating for left knee instability is also restored at 20%, effective May 1, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity that they preclude substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and hypertension have been granted. The claim for an undiagnosed illness has been remanded due to the need for additional examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder due to a lack of evidence demonstrating current disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for chondromalacia of the right knee and multiple contusions and lacerations. The claims are granted as direct service connection is established.

The Veteran's back disorder is service-connected, but his bilateral knee disorders and breathing problems are not.,His left elbow disorder was resolved in-service. His acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depression) secondary to migraines is also denied.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates have been denied as the earliest date of receipt of a claim is not prior to the assigned effective dates.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee Osgood-Schlatter disease and an acquired psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder and depressive disorder) as there was no clear and unmistakable evidence that these conditions preexisted service or were aggravated by service, and the medical evidence did not support a finding of a direct relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, and no higher. The issues of entitlement to service connection for TBI, dental trauma, asthma, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability (other than PTSD), and hearing loss in the right ear are remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities had their onset in service, meeting the criteria for service connection.