Knee decisions — 2012

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disorder and finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish that his current condition is related to his active duty service. The Veteran is granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral knee conditions is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, which was rated as 30 percent disabling since January 15, 2003, is currently evaluated at 30 percent due to the absence of chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or severe weakness. The Veteran's right knee motion (with consideration of pain on motion) is limited to 20 degrees of extension and 90 degrees of flexion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this.

The appellant's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring an automobile and adaptive equipment or for adaptive equipment only due to his already service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is service-connected, as there was in-service injury and continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension, hiatal hernia, low back disorder, arthritis of the shoulders and knees, and left shoulder disability are not found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal of the denial of his claim for service connection for a left knee disability is being remanded due to scheduling issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee arthritis is not service-connected and his claim for TDIU has been denied.

The Board found that a right leg disability to include degenerative joint disease of the right knee was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is unrelated to an injury, disease, or event during service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the claim, including obtaining VA treatment records from VAMCs in Chicago and Syracuse.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete service treatment records and the need to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding in-service treatment of his right knee disorder.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is only 30 percent, which does not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating. The Board finds that her service-connected disabilities do not prevent her from securing and following any form of substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the claimed disabilities, including a right knee disability. The effective date for an award of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right knee is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his right knee disability and hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of the record, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to address his claims of VA negligence in performing surgery and service connection for right knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected right and left knee patellar tendonitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and readjudication of his claims, including consideration of additional medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right inguinal hernia scar and left knee sprain, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.