Knee decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claimed disabilities are not presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disabilities are related to service, granting her claims for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus and bilateral knee disabilities are at least in part due to and/or have been significantly contributed to by his service-connected disabilities, including traumatic lumbar degenerative disc disease with diminished rectal tone, stress incontinence and erectile dysfunction, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and residuals of fracture, bone of the left 5th metatarsal with traumatic degenerative arthritis.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, but finds that further development is needed to address whether these conditions are related to his service-connected low back disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for an additional VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability due to new and material evidence submitted by the Veteran. The case is now remanded for further development, including an examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the current left knee disability and active service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for an initially compensable evaluation for status post fusion scars, midline low back and posterosuperior iliac crest associated with degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine status post plates with screws at L4-5 and L5-S1 was denied. The Board also found that service connection for PTSD, a bilateral hip disorder, and a bilateral knee disorder is not warranted as secondary to a service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's right knee disability including DJD and chronic low back disorder are granted as service connected.

The Board found that the Veteran's arthritis of the hands, shoulders, knees, and feet did not have its onset during service or within one year thereafter. The VA examination reports concluded that any current arthritis was not caused by military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left lower extremity disability, which was rated as 30 percent disabling under Diagnostic Codes 5257 & 5311-5312, has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residual soft tissue scarring resulting from multiple shrapnel fragment wounds has been granted and is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected osteoarthritis of the right knee is manifested by range of motion from 0 to 90 degrees with pain and mild edema. The Board found no additional limitation due to pain, fatigue, weakness or lack of endurance following repetitive use. A higher rating was not warranted under DeLuca criteria.

The Board denied service connection for gastritis, migraines, and degenerative arthritis of the right knee. The Veteran's migraines were presumed to have existed prior to service and were not aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine condition, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examination to determine the current nature and extent of his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression/anxiety, hypertension, and a left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected back and ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and reopening of service connection claims were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating above the assigned levels or reopen any of the previously denied claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and right knee disorder, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder. The Board also found that there is no direct service connection for either condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and knee disabilities, as well as schizophrenia, were denied. The evidence submitted since the final decisions did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders as there is no evidence of current disabilities.