Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee degenerative joint disease had its onset in service, warranting service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any claimed conditions and denied service connection for all issues due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back pain with arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected right knee chondromalacia of the patella, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability and finds that it is less likely than not related to his period of active service. For the left knee issue, there is no evidence showing arthritis manifested within one year after separation from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is not service-connected as it did not manifest within one year of his separation from active duty and is not shown to be related to his service. The examiner opined that the current left hip disorder is less likely than not caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee and left ankle disabilities.,The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is not service-connected as it did not manifest within one year of his separation from active duty and is not shown to be related to his service. The examiner opined that the current left hip disorder is less likely than not caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's right knee disability, evaluated at a combined 40 percent rating, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating from August 13, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of the case as he is no longer alive.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, effective March 24, 2004. The Board found that the criteria for a higher initial rating were not met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate examination and incomplete record. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability is now before the RO again.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The RO granted service connection for right knee arthritis on April 7, 2004.

The Veteran's right knee disability, characterized by painful motion and instability, does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent. The claim for herpes simplex is not currently on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis disabilities are not supported by the evidence of record, and thus have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the issues have been dismissed.

The Veteran's right knee condition results in pain, weakness, and crepitus with limited motion to 100 degrees in flexion. His scars are superficial, stable, not painful on examination, measure less than 39 square centimeters, do not limit motion or function, and do not cause any disabling effects.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee is being remanded due to a failure to report for a VA examination. The case will be evaluated on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for a separate disability rating for mid-chest pain and shortness of breath is dismissed as the symptoms are already compensated by his service-connected thoracic spine disorder.,Left lower extremity radiculopathy was proximately due to, or the result of, his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's left tibia stress fracture with left knee chondromalacia resulted in no more than a slight knee disability, including limited flexion to 60 degrees. The claim for an increased evaluation is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling an examination and considering whether TDIU is appropriate on an extraschedular basis.