Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee and ankle DJD are found to be proximately due to his service-connected neuritis of the saphenous nerve of the right leg, with resolution of reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a left knee disability due to service or a service-connected condition, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating, and there is no evidence of an exceptional or unusual disability picture that would preclude securing substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for DJD of the bilateral knees is being remanded due to incomplete Reserve service records and insufficient medical nexus opinion. The case will be further reviewed after additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA treatment records from the Memphis VAMC dated in 1991 and from August 2012 to present. The AOJ must also attempt to obtain any pertinent private treatment records.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with PTSD and his bilateral shoulder disabilities are considered to be directly related to service. His bilateral knee retropatella pain syndrome is also found to be directly related to service.,Service connection for PTSD, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee retropatella pain syndrome, and right knee retropatella pain syndrome has been granted.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal of the issues related to service connection for a bilateral hip condition, low back condition, and an increased evaluation for service-connected residuals of right knee injury with tricompartmental osteoarthritis and scar. The claims are therefore dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection for tardive dyskinesia has been granted.,Service connection for left eye twitching is also established.

The Veteran's claims of reopening previously denied and final service connection claims for arthritis of the knees and status post subtotal thyroidectomy are being remanded due to a request for a hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him bedridden or so helpless as to require regular aid and attendance, thus his claim for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA), as well as his exposure to asbestos and other hazardous materials during service. The appeal will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as it meets the criteria for service connection.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right knee disability and finds that it is warranted due to the evidence showing a current right knee disability had its onset during active service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a fracture of the right ulna and radius, as well as service connection for right knee and foot disorders. The Veteran's claims were found to lack new and material evidence to reopen the original claim.

The Veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance was denied because he did not demonstrate wear or tear to his clothing due to the use of a left knee brace prescribed by VA. The Board found that the brace, which is used over or under clothes with no damage, has not caused any damage to his clothing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions regarding his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging an orthopedic examination to assess the current severity of his right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a back condition has been withdrawn, and the case is being remanded for further evaluation of his left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his left shoulder, knee, and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 20 percent for recurrent dislocation of the left shoulder or limitation of flexion of the left knee from February 22, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a prostate disorder and bilateral knee disorder, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicides. The preponderance of evidence showed that the Veteran did not have these disorders in service or within one year thereafter.