Knee decisions — 2010

The Board has remanded the case for further development on issues of service connection for atrophy of the left testicle, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee replacements, left knee degenerative joint disease, and right hip degenerative joint disease render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities are not service-connected as his military service is not shown to be the cause of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hypertension and migraine headaches, prevent her from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a right or left knee disability during service and denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for arthritis of the right wrist, right knee, and lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and PTSD have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his left knee and back disabilities, finding that the current evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and a lower back disability, with the latter being secondary to a service-connected right knee disability. Service connection for a left knee disability is not addressed as it was not part of the original appeal.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is not service-connected, and the claim for an increased rating of his right knee disability was denied. The effective date for granting service connection for his right knee disability remains March 7, 2005.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for deficiency of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee was denied as his disability does not warrant a higher schedular rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar disc disease and right knee disability, as well as his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The evidence did not establish a link between current disabilities and service.

The Board has granted a rating of 50 percent for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressive symptoms, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the severity of his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has decided in favor of the Veteran, granting service connection for traumatic arthritis, left knee, status postoperative ACL reconstruction.

The Veteran's right knee disability is not service connected due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the current condition and his military service. The left knee disorder claim must be remanded for additional medical examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is related to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition. The low back disorder claim is also granted as the evidence is in equipoise regarding its relationship to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right ankle disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a preexisting condition aggravated by service or a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for residuals of a torn left knee ACL was denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support an initial rating in excess of 10 percent, and no compensable rating, for any period.