Knee decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from SSA and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current left knee disability was incurred or aggravated in service. The back issue is also being addressed.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issues of right shoulder, right knee, left knee, bilateral eye disorder, right ear hearing loss, and sinusitis has been withdrawn.

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected right knee disability, which includes anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and partial medial meniscectomy with osteoarthritis. The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that an evaluation in excess of 10 percent is not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are being remanded as further development is needed to determine the current severity of his right knee disability, whether his ankle fracture is secondary to his knee condition, and if he qualifies for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain VA treatment records, provide new examinations, and review the etiology of his claimed allergy/sinus condition.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, left knee, or right knee as there is no evidence of a chronic disability in service or within one year thereafter and it is not shown to be causally related to any incident of service.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee as secondary to service-connected disabilities of the left leg, finding that the Veteran's gait alteration caused by his service-connected left knee disability contributed to his current right knee disorder.

The Veteran's left knee disability required a period of convalescence following his March 4, 2010 surgery and he was awarded a temporary total rating from June 1, 2010 to August 22, 2010.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is currently 40 percent, effective from February 2, 2006. The Board finds no error in the calculation and denies the claim for a higher combined rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, or recurrent pharyngitis. For his rhinitis and ring finger fracture, initial compensable evaluations were granted. However, the GERD claim was denied as there was no significant impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee instability and traumatic arthritis, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating at any point.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left wrist and right knee disabilities are not related to his active military service. The claim for residuals of a left wrist fracture was denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or arthritis within one year following discharge. The claim for right knee disability was also denied due to lack of direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the retirement of the VLJ who conducted his hearing. He has requested a new hearing before a different VLJ.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee pain and low back pain, both claimed as joint or muscle pain respectively, were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The claim for neurologic signs and symptoms was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The bilateral knee disability was also not found to be related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disorder, variously diagnosed as tendonitis and impingement.,Service connection is denied for the Veteran's claimed left knee disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current conditions (hypertension, brain seizures, cystitis, multiple joint pains, knee disorder and hemorrhage seizure) are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 20, 2003 for the total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.