Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an examination.

The Veteran's claim for eligibility for the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only was denied as he does not meet the criteria for such benefits based on his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of various disabilities claimed by the appellant.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for patellofemoral syndrome, right knee is being remanded due to the need for additional development and an opinion regarding the etiology of his current disability.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the final denial of the claim is not new and material, thus denying the application to reopen the claim for service connection for a left knee disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities were denied by the Board. The RO has not assigned a specific disability rating or effective date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the issues related to increased ratings for service-connected disabilities, including TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation, service connection, TDIU, and extraschedular rating were denied. The Board found that the criteria for an increased evaluation of lumbosacral strain with DDD and a history of degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine had not been met, and that there was no evidence of intervertebral disc syndrome or bladder/bowel impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran with a VA orthopedic examination to determine the severity of his bilateral knee disabilities. The issue of TDIU is also raised by the record.

The Board has remanded the case due to unresolved issues regarding service connection for a skin disorder and TDIU. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after these matters are resolved.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability, left ear hearing loss, and vertigo have not been found to be related to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to assess his bilateral knee and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that his claim for TDIU is warranted on a schedular basis.

The Board has determined that there is a preliminary question raised as to whether timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was received on the issues of service connection for right ankle strain, left knee strain, and denial of service connection for a right knee condition. The case must be remanded to the RO for further inquiry into this subject.

The Veteran's appeal includes a claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a 10 percent rating for left thigh skin graft scar and a claim for higher initial ratings for his left knee degenerative arthritis. The Board found that both issues were factually ascertainable more than one year prior to the claims, but granted only the earlier effective date claim.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability, effective August 5, 2003, the date of the Veteran's application to reopen his claim. The effective date was not earlier than this due to the procedural history and VA regulations.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss with tinnitus, and hemorrhoids are presumed to have been incurred in service. The low back disorder is not related to service, but the knee disorders are considered presumptively due to exposure to burn pits. No effective date was assigned as all conditions were granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral pes planus, right hallux valgus, left hallux valgus, and bilateral shoulder osteoarthropathy, bilateral knee osteoarthropathy with chondromalacia, and bilateral ankle osteoarthropathy. The appeals were based on the Veteran's complaints of pain and tingling in his feet and joints.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee arthritis, finding that the current disabilities are related to in-service injuries.