Knee decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, but it is at least in equipoise whether VA care contributed to his death. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is granted.

The Veteran's claimed left shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board finds the Veteran's statements regarding his injuries to be inconsistent with the record.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a left knee disability. The Veteran's statements regarding his back pain since active service, along with medical records showing diagnoses of degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine and left knee arthritis, are sufficient to raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, which includes a medial meniscal tear and degenerative changes, is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and right knee strain, finding that these conditions were aggravated by active service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hip strain and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee chondromalacia, as well as a TDIU claim, are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and additional development of medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the severity of his left knee disability, which may affect the initial rating assigned.

The Veteran's DJD of the right knee resulted in a loss of approximately 5 to 10 degrees of active extension and 35 degrees of active and passive flexion, resulting in most recently tested active range of motion of 10 to 100 degrees and passive range of motion of 0 to 100 degrees. She also experienced instability or giving way of the right knee on occasion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, to include as secondary to her service-connected bilateral hip disabilities, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence linking the Veteran's current right knee disorder to his military service or any incident therein, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and private emergency room records from Jackson County Hospital and Therapy Center. The case will be re-adjudicated after these records are obtained.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder and a left knee disorder.,An initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a left hand injury with numbness in the fourth and fifth fingers remains on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left leg disability is not related to his service-connected right calcaneal fracture and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and development of records, including seeking a VA examination for the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as multiple VA and private examiners have indicated that he is capable of performing sedentary work.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left leg disability, including the knee and ankle, is denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service injury to his left leg.