Knee decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims can be decided, including providing VCAA notice and obtaining medical records. The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbar spine and left knee disorders are remanded to obtain appropriate VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected anterior left knee pain syndrome is granted, but the initial rating remains at noncompensable (0%) level.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his right knee instability rating, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the original decision.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including instability and degenerative changes, is rated at 30% from December 21, 2007 onwards.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee arthritis and ischemic heart disease are presumed to be related to his service due to exposure to herbicides. The Veteran's left knee disorder is not shown to have started in service, but the VA examiner opined it was not caused by service. The Veteran's heart condition is presumed as a result of his Vietnam service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-service bilateral knee disorder was aggravated by service, and therefore grants service connection for a current bilateral knee disorder.

The Board found no evidence of a left knee disability in service and concluded that the Veteran's current left knee arthritis is more likely due to natural aging and use rather than an injury or event during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various orthopedic conditions, including right hip arthritis, left hip arthritis, multilevel spinal degenerative disc disease, and bilateral knee arthritis. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current left knee disability and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability. The claim will be reconsidered based on the results of this examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and low back disabilities are permanently aggravated by her service-connected left knee disorder, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury and bilateral foot disability, finding no evidence of continuity of symptomatology or nexus to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back and right knee disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's right knee disorder is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that this rating was appropriate based on his symptoms and limitations. The appeal for a higher initial evaluation was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disorder did not start during service and is unrelated to his military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's left knee disability required a temporary total rating from March 1, 2007 to June 7, 2007 due to severe post-operative residuals following surgery. After this period, the residuals were not considered severe enough for an extension of the rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have chronic, identifiable conditions for back disorder, hip disorder, right knee disorder, hearing loss disability, or hypertension. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right and left foot disabilities, as well as his left knee disability, are being remanded to allow for additional development of the record.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis was denied by the RO, with a final effective date of December 1, 2008.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for further development and examination of the Veteran's left knee condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability due to new and material evidence submitted since the last denial. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability.