Knee decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability has been reopened and granted. The Board finds that the evidence is sufficient to establish a link between the Veteran's Reiter's Syndrome and his knees, which are presumed to be related to service due to its chronic nature.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated at 30 percent since December 31, 2007. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to lack of additional limitation of motion or other factors.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected right knee disability, and grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 20 percent for limitation of flexion. The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for instability and another 10 percent rating for mild incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, resulting in a total of 30 percent for these conditions combined.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right and left knee disorders, bilateral leg disorder, bilateral eye disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (excessive tiredness), have been denied as the evidence does not support a causal relationship to service or any qualifying chronic disability under Persian Gulf War criteria.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence linking the current osteoarthritis of the right knee to service, including any in-service injuries. The Veteran's current disability is considered unrelated to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of onset during active service or a relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a left knee disorder are being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining information about the program administered by Alpha Omega Veterans Services and providing etiological opinions regarding the onset of his left knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder and right knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service or within one year after discharge. The current disabilities are attributed to age-related changes.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of each knee. The claim of service connection for a low back disability and the TDIU claim are remanded due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflected the severity of his disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and records, including SSA records. The issues of service connection for low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral foot disorder are inextricably intertwined with the current appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disability was not service-connected as due to an undiagnosed illness or any other basis. The claim for TDIU remains pending.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant, through his authorized representative, has withdrawn it.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining relevant medical records.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, the minimum rating assigned following a knee replacement. The evidence does not support an increase in this rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current knee, low back, and hip disabilities are not related to service or any service-connected conditions. The claims for these disabilities have been denied.

The Veteran's abdominal tumor, pilonidal cyst, prostate disorder, and left knee disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,There is no credible evidence of any such conditions during or within one year after service.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not show marked limitation of motion or ankylosis.,The Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities are both rated at 0 percent as there is no objective evidence of limitation of motion or functional impairment.