Knee decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and knee disorders, including gout, are being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 10 percent since June 6, 2005. The appeal for a higher initial evaluation was denied.,Service connection for the left shoulder disorder and left knee disorder were granted with respective initial evaluations of 20% and 10%. The appeals for higher initial evaluations were denied.,The Veteran's right knee disorder is rated at zero percent since June 6, 2005. The appeal for a higher initial evaluation was denied until November 23, 2006 when the rating was increased to 10%.,Service connection for the right shoulder disorder was not granted.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left femur disabilities, as well as his initial rating for a left knee disability. The current ratings of 20 percent are maintained.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The appeal will be returned to the Board after this additional development is completed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the lower extremities and degenerative disc disease with degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine were denied. The Veteran is not entitled to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his left knee disability has been dismissed as he withdrew the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and providing a new opinion from an orthopedist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip and knee disabilities, as well as right lower extremity radiculopathy, all of which are found to be proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative spondylosis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's right and left knees are each rated at 20 percent for moderate instability, with no higher ratings granted. Service connection has been established for a bilateral hip disorder as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back and left knee disorders, finding new and material evidence. The claims are granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus developed during his period of active duty service. For his bilateral knee disorders, a VA examination is required to determine if they are related to his periods of ACDUTRA and AD service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities were denied. The reduction from a 20% to a 10% rating for the right knee injury with instability was found improper, but the Veteran's current 10% rating for arthritis of the right knee and 10% rating for degenerative joint disease of the left knee remain unchanged.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his right eyebrow and left knee scars, as well as his service connection claims for coronary artery disease, brain aneurysm, memory loss, and right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's PTSD claim was also denied.

The Veteran's initial increased evaluations for left knee tendinitis and lumbar degenerative joint disease prior to November 7, 2008 are denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable evaluation for the service-connected conditions during this period.

The Veteran's right knee surgery resulting from a service-connected condition required convalescence, and she is granted a temporary total rating for this period.

The Veteran's right ring finger disability has been rated as 10 percent disabling since July 30, 2007. The claim for service connection of degenerative changes of the left knee remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected total left knee arthroplasty is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of severe pain and weakness.