Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing the Veteran with proper VCAA notice. The issues of service connection for a bilateral knee disability and hepatitis C are also being remanded as they were not properly adjudicated on their de novo basis.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to service and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to address the Veteran's claim for service connection of his right knee disability. The Veteran contends he sustained an injury during military service in Germany and has experienced symptoms since then.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to unclear examination reports and need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left knee disability and current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing. The claims of service connection for left leg/knee disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, are pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and work background.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left knee bursitis with degenerative compartmental narrowing, finding that there was no evidence of chronic disease or continuous symptoms during service. The Board also found that the current conditions were not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and examination, as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the service connection of hip and knee disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, left ankle disorder, left shoulder disorder, and neck/cervical spine disorder. The reasons are provided in the decision.

The Veteran's right knee strain resulted in functional loss without painful motion, with flexion of the knee to no worse than 133 degrees and extension to no worse than zero degrees. The Board found that his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating as he had no instability or subluxation, ankylosis, cartilage dislocation or removal, impairment of the tibia or fibula, or genu recurvatum.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current right knee disorder related to his service or service-connected left knee disorder.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right and left knee DJD have been granted, with a combined rating of 10 percent. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current symptoms of left knee swelling, pain, and atrophy are residuals from his 1991 ACDUTRA injury. As a result, service connection for residuals of left knee injury is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability began during service and is granted as service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for the period prior to July 21, 2012 was granted. The knee disability is characterized by ankylosis in flexion from 0 to 10 degrees.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of the evidence to ensure a complete record upon which to decide his claims for increased ratings for right and left knee chondromalacia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative changes of the left knee warrant a 20 percent disability rating, effective from May 30, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and knee conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.