Knee decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise, and therefore grants service connection for right knee arthritis as a residual of an injury sustained during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of the claimed conditions during or since service, and they are not related to his active duty.

The Board finds that the appellant's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity has resulted in weakness and numbness with occasional, partial left foot drop tantamount to no worse than moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve. Therefore, an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent is not warranted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his authorized representative prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a link between the claimed disabilities and his service-connected conditions, or any other presumptive basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining verification of his service periods and providing the Veteran with VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and unconfirmed addresses. The Veteran's claims for service connection will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and a vocational assessment. The case will be readjudicated after the additional evidence is obtained.

The Veteran's initial claim for increased ratings was denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 10 percent for her left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome and 10 percent for her chondromalacia of the left knee.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are related to his service, including his in-service duties as a jet mechanic.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum to the March 2009 VA examination and obtaining contemporaneous treatment records. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for osteoarthritis of the left knee is being remanded due to incomplete development and need for a reasoned analysis on functional deficits.

The Board found that the appellant's current right and left knee disabilities were not incurred in service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred in service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that his current knee conditions are related to his active duty.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability did not have onset prior to or during service and is not otherwise related to service, thus denying the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right knee disability, postoperative total replacement with fibrous ankylosis, was found to not warrant a higher evaluation prior to February 19, 2010. Since then, the disability has been rated at 60 percent.

The Board denied reopening of the claims for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for entitlement to specially adapted housing due to loss or use of both lower extremities, blindness in both eyes, or loss of use of both upper extremities as to preclude locomotion.

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The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a separate, 10 percent disability rating for limitation of flexion of left knee due to DJD was granted. The effective date is set at March 22, 2006.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and providing an adequate VA examination.