Knee decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and malignant melanoma of the left eye, status post enucleation were denied. The claim for exposure to malathion and chlordane was not addressed as it is precluded due to lack of specific claimed disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right arm, right hand and wrist, bilateral elbow, and left knee disorders are etiologically related to her service-connected right foot disability with RSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities. The claim for increased evaluations for traumatic arthritis of the right and left knees, as well as the claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability, will be reconsidered after the additional development is completed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA clinical records and affording the Veteran a VA examination of his left knee. The issues are whether service connection is warranted for the left knee disorder on the basis of direct incurrence or aggravation by service-connected right leg disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back and bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling for limitation of flexion, with a separate 10 percent rating for limitation of extension. The Veteran does not have recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, frequent episodes of locking, or effusion into the joint.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left knee has been rated at 20 percent since June 13, 2011.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent prior to March 24, 2000 and as of May 1, 2000. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20% rating for recurrent pain and instability of the left knee, finding that the increased evaluation was not based on service treatment records added to the record after the February 1978 grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left knee disability were denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent for limitation of flexion and 30 percent for DJD and instability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability with degenerative arthritis, finding that there is no competent evidence associating any current knee disorder to active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disorder, diagnosed as patellofemoral syndrome. The right knee disorder is considered secondary to the left knee disorder and remains under review.

The Veteran's left knee disability was initially rated at 10 percent prior to April 17, 2007. It was then increased to 20 percent from that date until February 18, 2010, when it was further increased to 30 percent following a total knee replacement.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA clinician's opinion on his ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for tension headaches and left knee disabilities are being remanded to the RO for further development, including scheduling VA examinations to reassess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including superficial peroneal neuropathy of the left lower extremity and left knee laxity and instability, was granted a combined 40 percent rating effective September 24, 2008. A TDIU was also granted effective that date.

The Board found that there is no current evidence of a bilateral knee disability or degenerative disk disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1, and thus denied the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claim for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, or for adaptive equipment only is denied as he does not meet the criteria for entitlement to this benefit.

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