Knee decisions — 2007

The veteran seeks service connection for a right knee condition that he claims is either the direct result of an in-service sports injury or secondarily related to his service-connected left knee disorder. The case is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right ankle disabilities, to include as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The case will be returned for further development.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing proper VCAA notice.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional VA examinations to evaluate his service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee conditions and skin disability. The initial evaluations for these conditions are still pending.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The claims of service connection and increased ratings are pending.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability.

The Board found that the effective date for the TDIU should be December 19, 2002, as this was the earliest date on which it could be factually ascertainable that the veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back, bilateral knee, and right leg disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's currently manifested bilateral knee and back disorders were not incurred in active military service, nor are they secondarily related to any service-connected disability.,VA attempted to retrieve the veteran's service medical records but was unable to locate them due to a fire at the National Personnel Records Center.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and left lateral femoral nerve paresthesias, but denied them on the merits.,Service connection was granted for left lateral femoral nerve paresthesias (meralgia paresthesias of the left lateral thigh).

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left chest scar, residual of his in-service pectoralis muscle surgery, is service-connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, and right elbow disability were not supported by new and material evidence. The claim for diabetes mellitus, type II was granted but with no effective date provided.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an examination and opinion regarding whether the veteran's current right knee disorder and left foot plantar fasciitis are related to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder and determined that new and material evidence had been received. The Board found that there is competent medical evidence of a left knee disorder related to active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for bilateral knee strain, finding no verified stressor to support his PTSD claim and noting that his current knee condition was not shown to have worsened since his last VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for the right knee disability as secondary to the service-connected residuals of a fracture of the right lateral malleolus of the right ankle. The veteran's current right ankle disability is currently evaluated at 10 percent.

The Board has reopened the veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for arthritis, rheumatoid, mild, sternoclavicular joints, and knees. The case is now remanded to determine if the veteran currently has these conditions and whether they are related to his recognized service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claim for service connection for lateral patella compression of both knees with chondromalacia of the right knee (claimed as a bilateral knee disorder) to obtain clarification on the VA examiner's opinion and further development.