Knee decisions — 2011

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's right knee disability, as well as whether it is related to service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are currently rated as 10 percent disabling each, and the Board finds that these ratings are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the appellant's claim for recognition as a 'helpless child' but concluded that he was not permanently incapable of self-support at the age of 18.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability and gastrointestinal disability are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due solely to impairment resulting from his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds reasonable doubt in favor of this determination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA examination to determine if any current bilateral knee, foot, or ankle disabilities are related to injuries in service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his left knee disability and right hand fractures are being reviewed.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been rated at the maximum available rating of 40 percent each, reflecting their severity.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing sedentary employment.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension. The claims for eye disorder, right knee disorder, residuals of positive tuberculosis test, and Gulf War Syndrome are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee, left knee, and cervical spine disabilities are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his right and left knee conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for the right and left knees, and service connection cannot be granted as the appellant did not present any chronic knee problems during or after service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral knee disability as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder.

The Board found no credible evidence of an in-service injury to the right knee/leg and inconsistent recollections regarding left knee/leg symptoms. The Veteran's current knee conditions are not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a clarifying opinion from the examiner who conducted his June 2009 VA examination regarding arthritis associated with his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by range of motion from 0 to 130 degrees with painful motion and additional functional impairment upon repeated testing, does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.