Knee decisions — 2009

The Board remanded the case for additional development to determine if any current arthritis or degenerative joint disease of the shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, or ankles is due to service-connected low back strain.

The Board granted service connection for right knee disability manifested by limitation of motion due to the residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right thigh, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining new evidence and scheduling an examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's knee conditions.

The Board denied service connection for schizoaffective disorder, back disability, bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left knee disability, chest pain, gastrointestinal disability, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Veteran was also denied a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied as the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional service-connected disabilities.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and verifying in-service stressors.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed right shoulder, low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities as they were not related to active service.

The Board denied the claims for new and material evidence to reopen service connection for bilateral shin splints and a low back disorder, but granted service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right knee and ankle disabilities, as well as a compensable rating for a scar on the right medial malleolus.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the hips, elbows, knees, and lower back.

The appeal is remanded for further development and adjudication of the issues on appeal.

The Board remands the case to afford the Veteran an opportunity for a hearing before a Decision Review Officer at the RO.

The Board denied service connection for left knee arthritis, left wrist arthritis, right foot plantar fasciitis, an acquired disability of the left eye, bilateral knee growths, bilateral hip pain, and back pain as there was no competent medical evidence to support a finding that these conditions were related to active service or secondary to his service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for flat feet, a bilateral leg disability, and a bilateral knee disability as there is no medical evidence of current disabilities or a relationship between the claimed conditions and military service.

The claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities as secondary to a left ankle disability were reopened but ultimately denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the loss of teeth and receding gums, as there was no evidence that the loss or worsening of these conditions were due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.

The veteran's left knee condition was rated at 20 percent effective June 28, 2006. The claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left legs, CAD, and impotency were denied.

The appeal is remanded for further development of the evidence related to the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, left hip, and right hip disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and a respiratory disorder as there was no evidence to support that these conditions were related to his active military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated 20 percent from June 1, 2005, to October 19, 2008, and the rating was reduced to 10 percent thereafter. The other claims for higher ratings were denied.