Knee decisions — 2011

The Veteran's service-connected arthritis of the knees, cervical spine, elbows, and hands, along with his hiatal hernia, contributed to his death due to pneumonia and adult respiratory distress syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a bilateral knee disability, impaired memory (claimed as Alzheimer's disease), syphilis, liver disorder (claimed as hepatitis), and paranoid schizophrenia, all of which were alleged to be related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right wrist, right knee, and left heel disabilities are not service-connected as they do not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability, which is rated as 10 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5257 for instability and traumatic arthritis, does not warrant a higher rating based on current symptomatology.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied as the evidence did not show he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disorder claim has been reopened, but further development is needed to determine the appropriate rating and service connection. The compensable rating claim for allergic rhinitis with deviated nasal septum remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee disability is not related to his service, including a 1988 injury during service. The VA examiner opined that any chronic right knee disability did not manifest during military service and was not made worse by service.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Maine General Medical Center on October 4, 2008 were reimbursed as the condition was an emergent one and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, hairline fracture of the right jaw, arthritis of hands, and lumbar degenerative disc disease. The claim for increased rating for left knee chondromalacia with degenerative changes was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to address whether his right knee arthritis is secondary to his service-connected right foot disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis of the right shoulder, knees, ankles and feet sprains, and neck muscle spasms is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and PTSD were denied due to lack of evidence of such conditions in service. The claim for service connection for the right knee disability was reopened, but ultimately denied.

The Veteran's combined rating was only 50 percent, which did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU. The Board found that he is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's current right knee disability is found to be related to his service-connected right ankle fracture, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition. The claims for other conditions were not addressed due to lack of development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, evaluated as 10 percent disabling under DC 5257, is not shown to warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record. The left knee disability claim has been referred for further adjudication.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed knee, wrist, shoulder, neck, and lower back disabilities are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete verification of service in a region where exposure to potential hazards may have occurred, and insufficient medical nexus opinion provided by the VA examiner.