Knee decisions — 2011

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability. The claim for frostbite of the right foot is denied. A 10% rating is assigned for the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected left knee disorder aggravated his right knee and low back disorders.

The Board found no evidence of a right knee or right ankle disorder during service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection as there was insufficient continuity of symptoms to establish a current disability related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence of a stressor event in service. The claim for increased rating for chondromalacia, left patella, was not addressed as it is related to the remanded issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee, right knee, and right shoulder disorders are not service-connected as they do not have a direct link to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is rated at 20 percent, effective September 8, 2004. The rating reflects the predominant range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine on forward flexion being greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee patellofemoral syndrome and tendonitis, but denied the Veteran's request for higher initial ratings based on limitation of flexion or extension. The current rating of 10 percent is appropriate given the limited range of motion.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his service-connected left knee disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating at any point during the appellate period.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and granted service connection for a right knee disability, both on the basis of secondary service connection due to pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee was denied as there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral defective hearing and right knee disability due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's claims were not reopened as the submitted evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board found no evidence of current hearing loss, back, or knee disabilities for VA purposes and denied the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining vocational rehabilitation records and scheduling an examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability and granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's left knee disability. The right knee condition is not related to service or secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claims for left knee, right knee, and bilateral foot conditions as there was no new and material evidence received to reopen the claim for a left knee condition. The other issues were also denied on the merits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examination reports and relevant treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and low back disorders, as well as increased evaluations for left and right shoulder bursitis with impingement syndrome, are being remanded due to the need for additional development including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection have been granted, but the effective dates remain October 5, 2004.

The Veteran's knee disabilities, specifically chondromalacia of the right and left knees with Osgood-Shlatter's Disease, are currently rated at 10 percent each. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected hip, knee and spine disabilities are causing significant occupational impairment. The RO is instructed to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his ability to work due to these conditions.