Knee decisions — 2009

The Board has granted an effective date of January 12, 2005 for the award of a separate 10 percent rating for arthritis of the right knee. The temporary total rating and subsequent 30 percent rating are denied as there is no earlier effective date.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disorder and left knee disorder, finding that these conditions are causally related to service. Service connection was denied for asthma due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Board has ordered a remand for further development, including scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the etiology and date of onset of his right knee disability. The claim will be reconsidered after all requested actions are completed.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been rated by analogy under Diagnostic Code 5020 for synovitis. The RO has determined that the current ratings are appropriate as there is no limitation of motion or arthritis found in either knee.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated as 70 percent disabling since January 21, 2009. The other conditions have not met the criteria for higher initial ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there was no medical evidence to support a nexus between his current left knee disability and either service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the claim for TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by semilunar dislocated cartilage and degenerative changes, is currently rated at 20 percent for post-traumatic arthrosis/post-traumatic arthritis. The claim for a higher rating was denied.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was first manifested during service and is presumed to have been incurred therein. The Board finds that the Veteran has established service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claims for service connection for residuals of a right knee injury and an upper spine disability was granted. The claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for recurrent right foot strain is denied as there is no evidence of an earlier pending claim.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen several service connection claims, but the specific evaluations for these conditions remain unchanged.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records from the Denver VAMC and Kaiser Permanente.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability was denied. His claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and clarifying the opinions from VA examiners.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosed right or left knee disorder, or any right or left foot disorder. Therefore, the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the etiology of his bilateral knee and right foot disabilities, as well as depression.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his medical records and consideration of his claims.