Knee decisions — 2010

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back, bilateral hips, bilateral knees, legs, and ankles as there is no competent medical evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty training and inactive duty training, as well as the need for a new VA examination to determine if any current left knee condition is related to service.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is proximately due to his service-connected left ankle disability, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee and right hip conditions have been denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current functional impairment.

The Board found no evidence of a direct relationship between the Veteran's in-service knee injuries and his current bilateral knee conditions, thus denying service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been received.

The Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome and left sciatica were initially rated at 10 percent prior to June 18, 2009. From that date, the rating was increased to 20 percent.,The Veteran's sciatica of the left lower extremity has been rated at 10 percent since June 18, 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder biceps tendonitis with impingement, and left knee patella femoral syndrome. The RO had previously granted service connection for these conditions but did not assign compensable ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right knee or right ankle disability that is attributable to his active military service and therefore denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability, claimed as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and further examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including reconstructing missing service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a hip, ankle or right knee disorder related to his military service and it is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back strain, secondary to arthralgias of the bilateral hips, knees, and ankles is being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee injury did not occur during service and is not related to any incident during service. The arthritis of the right knee was also not manifest within a year of separation from active service, thus precluding presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for his right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of medical records.

The Board found no evidence of a current left shoulder condition and denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed left shoulder disorder. For his right knee condition, the Board determined that it was not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, and denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's gout of the bilateral knees, ankles, feet, and right elbow is manifested by incapacitating exacerbations occurring 3 or more times a year. The RO has granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA and private treatment records, as well as a supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee post-operative medial meniscal tear and degenerative joint disease have not met the criteria for a higher disability rating, with no functional loss or instability issues.