Knee Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder on secondary basis and granted service connection for left hip disorder. However, service connection for right hip disorder was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart disease, left knee disorder, and peripheral neuropathy of the hands due to issues not being resolved.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination to determine the etiology of any current left knee disorder. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis of the spine will also be readjudicated.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear at a previously scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned for further development and readjudication.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection, disability rating, and overpayment will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative.

The Veteran's appeal of the June 2006 rating decision denying service connection for a low back disorder and bilateral knee condition was not timely filed, resulting in the denial of his appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine DDD and bilateral knee arthritis are related to service, granting the claims for these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the extent of her service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service. However, further examination is needed to determine if his right shoulder, right foot, and left knee disabilities are also related to his service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current level of impairment due to his service-connected right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not worsened to the point that he is unable to perform his current job, and the occupation for which he was previously rehabilitated remains suitable given his employment handicap.

The Board has determined that a new examination is necessary to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's service-connected scar and other residuals of splinter puncture wound to the left thigh. The case is also remanded for additional development regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection, whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims, and TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected left hip condition, arthritis of the left hip with Legg-Perthes disease, status post total left hip replacement, is rated at 90 percent from September 30, 1986. The cervical spine disability is rated as 60 percent disabling since July 13, 2011. The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected disability for any of the conditions she claims, including PTSD, hiatal hernia, hypertension, burn scar on the right middle finger, sleep disorder, hordeolum of the right eyelid, arthritis of the cervical spine, arthritis of the knees, arthritis of the feet, arthritis of the hands, arthritis of the wrists, arthritis of the elbows, and arthritis of the right shoulder.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis with total knee replacement has been granted service connection as a disability aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome and right knee disability. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of a right wrist fracture was granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new Board hearing before a VLJ who conducted his previous hearing has retired. The issues of increased ratings for right knee disabilities are being remanded.

The Board found that there is no competent, credible, or probative evidence linking the Veteran's left knee disability and headaches to her military service. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for urticaria, and denied compensable ratings for chondromalacia of the left knee and right knee prior to October 14, 2008. The claim for a compensable rating for residual scar from his fracture was also denied.