Knee Board decisions

The Board found no evidence of a service connection for the right knee disability or upper front teeth, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new examination and review of records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for his left knee disability is pending.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disorder, status post total knee replacement, is currently rated at 60 percent for the period after June 30, 2011. The available schedular evaluation adequately describes his disability.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective December 2, 2011. The right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent. Both conditions are found to be adequately addressed and not in need of higher ratings based on the provided evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability and granted it. The claims for hypertension, left knee disability, right knee disability, residuals of malaria, and arthritis (secondary to shell fragment wounds) are also granted.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the case can be adjudicated, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right and left knee disorders.

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 knee disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim for right pointer and right middle finger disorders with scars is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that the service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to the Veteran's death, and thus denied the claims for service connection for the cause of death, eligibility for nonservice-connected death pension benefits, and entitlement to accrued benefits.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a right knee condition and a skin condition. The case is REMANDED for additional examinations, development of records, and readjudication.

The Veteran seeks service connection for left knee and left shoulder disorders, but the Board finds insufficient evidence to decide these claims due to inadequate VA opinions. Additional development is needed.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and left knee osteoarthritis were denied. The Board found no evidence of exceptional patterns of hearing impairment or instability warranting higher ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and provide adequate examinations and opinions regarding his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for further examination regarding National Guard service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of rating greater than 60 percent for status post right knee replacement and greater than 10 percent for right hip degenerative joint disease are not addressed as they were not rated before.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's right knee disability, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease status post total right knee replacement, was caused by his service-connected left knee disability, status post total left knee replacement, inclusive of degenerative joint disease. As a result, the claim for secondary service connection has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and likely etiology of his left elbow, left knee, and low back conditions. A new VA examination will also be scheduled to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for both claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of in-service aggravation or onset and that the Veteran's current knee conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not show that his conditions warrant a higher rating than currently assigned.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination.