Knee decisions — 2008

The Board found no evidence of a current bilateral knee or lumbar spine disability and denied service connection for these conditions based on the absence of medical evidence showing their existence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the veteran's request to upgrade his discharge characterization and other procedural issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for upper and lower extremity disabilities, finding no relationship between these conditions and his military service or any already service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The appellant's claim of entitlement to TDIU is inextricably intertwined with his secondary service connection claim for a hip disorder.

The veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation for right knee arthritis secondary to his service-connected left knee disability was granted. A subsequent rating decision in March 2007 assigned him a 10 percent evaluation effective from November 14, 2006.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 20 percent. The appeal was also denied regarding the claim for service connection for a right hip disorder as secondary to the bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for low back and left hip disabilities as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability, post anterior cruciate ligament repair with degenerative changes, warrants a separate 20 percent evaluation for recurrent subluxation or lateral instability.

The veteran's increased ratings for herniated nucleus pulposus, lumbar spine and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were granted. The other conditions remained at noncompensable or zero percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to missing medical records and a need to associate them with the claims file.

The veteran's appeal for a higher rating for degenerative changes of the right knee has been withdrawn, resulting in dismissal of the case.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder and knee disabilities, PTSD, kidney stones, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, did not have a relationship to any service-connected condition, and no new evidence was presented to reopen previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and VA treatment records. The veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for automobile and adaptive equipment, or for adaptive equipment only, as well as his claim for specially adapted housing due to lack of evidence demonstrating loss of use of extremities or blindness.

The veteran's right shoulder, left wrist, and left knee disabilities have been granted. However, the service connection for a left shoulder disability has not been established.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability was reopened. Service connection is not established, but the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his left elbow disability and effective date prior to January 22, 2001, are granted.

The appellant is seeking accrued benefits based on monies payable to the veteran at the time of his death. The case has been remanded for further development and readjudication.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete notice and examination reports. The veteran's service records, including those from her eye surgery, need to be obtained and reviewed.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a travel Board hearing.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and requests for additional evidence. The veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are pending.