Knee decisions — 2013

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected left knee condition was granted, with a rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated at 10 percent disabling since July 2006. The VA examiner found the Veteran had full but painful range of motion, tenderness to palpation on the anteromedial side, and no effusion or instability.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for residuals of a Baker's cyst of the right knee, but further development is needed to determine if the preexisting condition was aggravated during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his service, and therefore denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's right knee instability and osteoarthritis have been rated at the maximum available disability ratings since August 26, 2010. The appeal is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by painful motion with normal extension and flexion to at worst 110 degrees, did not meet or more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher initial rating than 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the VA has not met its burden to provide a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee condition prior to August 2, 2012 and in excess of 20 percent since that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder and bilateral knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and an opinion on whether he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability and back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disorder and left eardrum disorder have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions. The claims for service connection for left shoulder, left knee, and right knee disorders are pending due to the need for further clarification from VA medical examinations.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for headaches and left knee disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining inpatient/clinical records from a German hospital where the Veteran was treated in July 1973. The claim will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for readjudication of his claims, including consideration of higher disability ratings and other means such as extraschedular or special monthly compensation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for left knee patellofemoral syndrome was granted, with a 60% rating effective March 1, 2011. The service connection claim for the right knee disorder (secondary to left knee) was also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee, right knee, and left hip bursitis disabilities. The claim for service connection for a right hip disability was not supported by the evidence provided.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right knee and limitation of extension are being remanded due to inadequate examination findings. The VA will schedule a new examination to assess the current functional impairment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome warrants a 10% rating, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to evaluate the severity of her service-connected right knee disability.