Knee decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral lower extremity numbness and pain, degenerative arthritis of the left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board found no evidence of chronic knee and heel disabilities during service, and the Veteran's lay claims regarding such are not credible. Therefore, the Veteran's bilateral knee and heel disabilities including arthritis were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected left knee and cervical spine disabilities are granted. The issue of a higher initial rating for low back disability is remanded due to evidence suggesting an increase in severity since the last examination.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for a right knee disability, but not for a left knee disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. As a result, service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorders, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral shoulder and arm disorders, and PTSD. The evidence submitted since July 2001 is not considered new and material to reopen any of these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a review of his employment capabilities and referral to the VA's Director of Compensation and Pension for extra-schedular consideration.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and his right knee arthritis is also rated at 10 percent. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5257 or 5003-5257.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and left wrist disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during his active military service, nor can they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee arthritis with limitation of extension is rated at 30 percent effective August 4, 2008. The claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent remains pending.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current left knee, left ankle, or left wrist disorder, nor any eye injury residuals. The Veteran's claims for service connection on this basis have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee arthritis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show flexion limited to 45 degrees or extension limited to 10 degrees, which would warrant higher ratings under Diagnostic Codes 5260 and/or 5261.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been evaluated based on their current manifestations. The right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, while the left knee instability is also rated at 10 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for left shoulder and left knee disorders, but is remanding these claims to the RO for further development. The claim for service connection for a left hip disorder remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board grants service connection for HIV.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and conduct further examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with the effective dates being determined based on the specific issues and periods of time involved.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a need for a new VA examination of the Veteran's right knee instability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder needs further development and is therefore being remanded.