Knee decisions — 2008

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, alone, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee and ankle disabilities to secure additional evidence, including medical records from Bassett Army Hospital in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for a left knee injury is being remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, cervical spine disability, and chronic sinusitis as there was no evidence of these conditions in service or sufficient evidence to link them to the veteran's active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent disabling for the residuals of a right knee arthroplasty, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for a right knee condition, as new and material evidence was not received.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral lower leg disorder, to include bilateral knee and shin disorders.

The Board denied service connection for the residuals of an injury to the veteran's left knee, finding no evidence that the current condition is related to his in-service injury.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of right and left knee and leg injury other than shell fragment wounds as there is no evidence of a medical relationship between any current disability and any incident of service other than shell fragment wounds.

The Board found that the September 27, 1971 rating decision contained clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in denying service connection for right knee disability. The veteran was granted an earlier effective date of April 2, 1971.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability, in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury, and a nexus between the claimed in-service disease or injury and the present disease or injury.

The veteran's right knee disability was rated at 10 percent for the period prior to September 6, 2007, and increased to 20 percent from that date. Service connection for a right hip disorder was denied.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions as there was no evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by his active military service.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and adjudication of the veteran's claims.

The veteran's service-connected fragment wound to the right arm and left leg wounds with retained metal foreign bodies and knee pain have not been manifested by more than moderate disability.

The veteran's current low back and right knee disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and readjudication of the veteran's claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a right eye disorder, left knee disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were denied as there was no evidence of current disabilities or credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a headache disorder, bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral shoulder disability were denied as there was no evidence of these conditions in service or sufficient evidence to link them to his military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for her left knee disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to reassess the current severity of the condition.