Knee decisions — 2011

The Board has ordered remand due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left knee disorder is related to service. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Board has ordered a remand to verify the Veteran's periods of service, provide proper VCAA notice regarding his claim for an undiagnosed illness, and obtain VA examination results. The appeal is currently in remanded status.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right knee disabilities have been denied as her conditions do not warrant a higher rating based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and sacral spine disabilities were denied as the evidence did not show that any of these conditions warranted a higher rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including severe DJD of the left shoulder status post total left shoulder arthroplasty and cervicalgia. The remaining issues are pending further review.

The Board has denied the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for back and right knee disabilities, finding that no new and material evidence has been submitted since the last final denial in January 2004.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his left knee disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a post-operative excision of torn cartilage of the left knee with bilateral chondromalacia and granted it, finding that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the previously denied claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining relevant medical records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity during a hearing before the Board. The remaining issues are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and development of his claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and needs additional development before a decision can be made on the Veteran's claim for service connection of his bilateral knee disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current right knee disorder is related to his pre-existing condition or was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by limited motion and instability, has been rated at 10 percent since May 28, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, sleep apnea, left knee disability, right knee degenerative joint disease, and diabetes mellitus type II, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hip, ankle, and knee disorders are not related to service or a service-connected condition. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected status-post lateral meniscus tear of the left knee was denied. The Board found that the current disability did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the issues on appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the right knee and left knee, finding that new evidence supports reopening the claim. The Veteran's current knee disabilities are related to her active military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% disability rating for his left knee disability was denied as the September 1992 rating decision, which assigned a non-compensable rating, is final and there is no evidence of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in that decision.