Knee decisions — 2012

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right knee disorder and his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability, evaluated as 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5257, does not meet or approximate criteria for a higher evaluation due to lack of limitation of motion and instability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left and right knee disabilities are causally related to multiple injuries sustained in service, including combat-related incidents. The appeal for service connection for right knee disorder is being REMANDED due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his service-connected right hip disability, as well as any current low back, bilateral shoulder, and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has not determined the service connection status for schizophrenia or arthritis of knees and ankles due to lack of new and material evidence. The claims are considered 'mixed' as some issues were granted while others were denied.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee lateral instability or subluxation, but granted a separate 10 percent evaluation for left knee osteoarthritis with limitation of flexion.

The Board denied a rating higher than 20 percent for service-connected right knee internal derangement with degenerative joint disease prior to February 1, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the RO.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing at the RO.

The Veteran's heart disability is not service-connected, but the claim to reopen his arthritis of the right knee has been granted. The Board found that new evidence supports reopening the claim for arthritis of the right knee.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The lumbar spine disability was rated at 50%, the gunshot wounds to the left thigh and right lower extremity disabilities were both rated at 20% each, and the fascial defect of the left thigh with muscle herniation was rated at 30%. No extra-schedular rating or reopening on new evidence was granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of pneumonia and granted it. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board Hearing at the RO. The issues of service connection for various disorders are still under consideration.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for a knee disability, finding no evidence of an in-service event or injury related to the Veteran's knees. The decision also noted that the earliest post-service medical evidence showing a knee disability was dated over eight years after separation from his first period of active duty.

The Board found that the reduction in the disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected right knee injury residuals from 30 percent to 10 percent was proper based on improvement shown in his condition.

The Veteran's right knee disability was granted service connection as a direct result of complaints he had during his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an equipment malfunction during a scheduled videoconference hearing, and the Veteran's representative requested a Travel Board hearing instead. The case is now pending for scheduling of this hearing.

The Board dismissed the claims as they were not timely filed, and thus did not have jurisdiction to review them.