Knee decisions — 2009

The Board found that the Veteran's knee disorders do not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his current bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the previously denied claims of service connection for a right knee disorder or hypertension. The case is REMANDED for additional development.

The Board granted service connection for the right knee disorder and assigned an initial rating of 20 percent, effective February 3, 2004.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic right knee disorder during service or within one year following discharge, and concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disorder is not related to his in-service injury. The claim for service connection was therefore denied.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for additional evidentiary development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a total right knee replacement is denied as the correct effective date is June 16, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining physical examination reports from the State Police and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently diagnosed left knee disability.

The Board's decision is dismissed as moot due to the Court's vacating and remanding of the decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an extension of the period of eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services due to his ability to overcome employment handicaps and his current capabilities.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities contributed to his fatal pneumonia, which was listed as bilateral pneumonia due to cerebrovascular disease.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development including a VA examination to determine if any current hip or back disability is related to service. The Veteran's claim for service connection remains in dispute.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and right knee disorders, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or continuity of symptomatology related to his service-connected left knee disorder. The Board also found that any current low back disorder did not develop secondary to his service-connected left knee disorder.

The Veteran's right knee disorder and left knee disorder were not found to be related to military service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran was granted an initial noncompensable evaluation for bilateral plantar calluses effective February 25, 2002.

The Veteran's bilateral knee and right hip disabilities are attributed to known clinical diagnoses, not service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his left knee disability was denied as there is insufficient evidence to determine the current level of impairment and he failed to report for a VA examination.

The Board and RO denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, other than PTSD, alcoholism, and a right knee disability. The Veteran's claim of reopening the psychiatric disability was not successful due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic low back disability in service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. The left knee disability was evaluated at 10% since October 7, 1989, based on recurrent subluxation or lateral instability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed cervical, right knee, lumbar, right shoulder, and right thumb disorders are not related to service. Hypoglycemia is not a disability or disease associated with service origin.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected left knee strain was denied, and he is currently rated at a 10 percent disability level. His claim for service connection for generalized periodontal disease was also denied.