Knee decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for a lumbosacral spine disorder and bilateral leg cramps, but granted service connection for right shoulder and right knee disorders.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to clarify the current nature and likely etiology of any right shoulder and right knee injuries that the veteran may have.

The VA is required to provide a medical examination or opinion for the veteran's knee disabilities, as they are related to service. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disability, a left knee disability, and lung cancer. The evidence did not support these claims as there was no in-service injury or exposure to asbestos that could be linked to current disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities, finding that they did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee with a history of arthrotomy due to new and material evidence submitted since the last final denial. The Board also found that the pre-existing condition was not aggravated by active military service, as there is no medical evidence showing worsening during service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for knee problems, finding that there is no evidence linking any current disability to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disorder and a back disorder, finding that these conditions are proximately due to or the result of the veteran's service-connected right leg and thigh shrapnel wounds. The claims were previously denied in July 1998 but reopened based on new evidence received since then.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not related to a service-connected condition. The claim for an increased rating for residuals of a left jaw injury is denied as there is no evidence showing the current level of disability warrants a higher rating.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being permanently housebound has been remanded due to a lack of recent medical evidence indicating he is in need of such assistance.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, low back disability, and left shoulder disability as there is no evidence of current disabilities associated with his active military duty.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are denied as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease, and no current disability is shown.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy with left bundle branch block and bilateral knee disability. The claim of service connection for inflammatory bowel disease with Crohn's disease is pending as additional evidence is required, specifically regarding whether reserve training aggravated the preexisting condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if any of the veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his service-connected right knee disorder and whether referral is warranted for an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected right femur disability and denied an increased rating for his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the issues of hypertension and arthritis for further development. The status of hypertension is unknown, while the arthritis issue requires additional medical examination to determine if it is related to service.

The VA has reopened the veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, as new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board finds that the preexisting bilateral knee disorders were aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability due to a lack of VA examination. The case will be returned to the RO for further development and adjudication.

The veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions were denied. The Board found no evidence of pleural thick thickening, and the preponderance of the evidence did not support service connection for memory loss or chronic fatigue.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by a pulmonary embolism resulting from a hip fracture, which in turn was caused by his service-connected knee and foot disabilities. As such, the appeal for service connection for the cause of death is granted.