Knee decisions — 2014

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no credible evidence of such in-service. The VA examinations provided opinions indicating these conditions are more likely related to post-service factors.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and his claims for service connection for right hip disability status post right hip arthroplasty and degenerative joint disease of the right knee have been dismissed.

The Veteran's right and left knees were evaluated for patellofemoral syndrome, but the VA determined that there was no evidence of limitation of motion or instability warranting a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected fracture of the left femur, arthritis of the left knee, and duodenal ulcer were denied. The fractures and arthritis are currently rated at 20 percent each.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for his service-connected left knee patellofemoral syndrome was granted, with a 10 percent evaluation assigned. Separate evaluations of 20 percent and 10 percent were also granted for subluxation as of July 18, 2012 and August 12, 2009 respectively. The Veteran's claim for painful motion of the left knee was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, to include as secondary to his right knee disability, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and an opinion regarding whether the right knee disability caused or aggravated the left knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and secondary service connection were denied. The RO found that the Veteran's right knee, left hip, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities are not shown to be related to his service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee and back disorders are not due to disease or injury incurred in service, nor can arthritis be presumed to have been incurred therein. The VA examiner opined that the disabilities were more likely related to the Veteran's weight and work-related injuries after service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a right knee disorder and finds that new evidence supports a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service, including an incident in Vietnam. As such, the claim is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disability have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee disorders, finding that the Veteran's preexisting conditions were aggravated by his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his anxiety with depression and multiple musculoskeletal conditions, have resulted in a combined disability rating of 100 percent. The Veteran is eligible for financial assistance to acquire an automobile or adaptive equipment due to the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The RO has proposed to sever service connection for the right knee, left knee (secondary), low back disability, and left hip strain. The Veteran's appeal of this proposal was denied in a November 2007 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable rating for left knee strain with left lateral nodule is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a more contemporaneous examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to missing service treatment records and unobtained Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The RO/AMC will also attempt to schedule a hearing for the Veteran at a VA facility closer to her home.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for hypertension was dismissed due to withdrawal. The reduction of the disability rating for his service-connected left knee disability from 50 percent to 20 percent was not proper, and the 50 percent disability evaluation is restored effective March 1, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reopening of claims for left foot bunion deformity and right foot bunion deformity was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.,The Veteran's appeal regarding the reopening of a claim for left knee disorder was also dismissed as no new and material evidence had been received.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service records and VA treatment records, as well as obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The Veteran will also be provided with a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding his increased rating claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on his left knee arthrofibrosis with instability, mechanical low back pain with ankylosing spondylitis, and post-traumatic arthritis have been withdrawn.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of records.