Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's current left knee disability is not shown to be due to his service, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and requesting a medical opinion from the November 2010 VA examiner or another provider to determine if the Veteran's current hip and knee disabilities are related to his service or service-connected left ankle and/or left knee disabilities.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions that were incurred or aggravated by service, and arthritis is not presumed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder is causally related to service, but his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral thumb disorder are not due to service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have right or left knee disabilities that are attributable to his active military service. The VA examiner concluded that the current knee disabilities were more likely due to participation in karate since 1984, rather than any injury during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination. The appeal is currently pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for psychiatric disability, bilateral knee disability, and skin disability. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric condition. For his bilateral knee disability, there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease leading to current symptoms.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of any lumbosacral spine, left knee, and right shoulder disabilities. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to allow for further development of the record, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical records.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) for loss of use of the feet was denied as he did not meet the criteria for SMC due to his service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee arthritis and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to clarify the severity of his service-connected low back disability and to determine if his left knee OA and right ankle disability are secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder due to new evidence received since the February 1999 denial. The issue of whether this condition is related to service will be addressed in further proceedings.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right knee disability and is now considering it on its merits. The Veteran experienced symptoms of joint pain following military service, which were noted in his service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, left leg disability, back disability, neck disability, right ear hearing loss, left knee instability, and arthritis. The Veteran's claims for a separate rating for left knee arthritis and a higher evaluation for left knee meniscal tear are also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral ankle and knee conditions, bilateral shoulder conditions, residuals of rib fractures, a low back condition, circulatory disturbances of the legs and right toe amputation, and sleep apnea. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, right hand disability, residuals of head injury with symptoms of neck pain and headaches, and acquired psychiatric disorder. However, the evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence, as well as for further examinations to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disorders based on new evidence submitted since the August 2006 rating decision. The claims are now considered for merits.