Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is secondary to his service-connected low back disability and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at 30 percent, effective from the date of this decision. The separate noncompensable rating for hammertoes remains in effect. Right and left knee tendonitis with chondromalacia and osteoarthritis are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a left knee disability, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings and reopening service connection for low back disability are pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his left ankle fracture residuals and right knee tendonitis.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee osteoarthritis with degenerative joint disease (DJD) is denied. The evidence does not support a higher rating as the Veteran's range of motion was limited by pain, weakened movement, and flares upon repetition.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depression, was manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, and flattened affect. He received a 50% evaluation for this condition.,For the right knee disability, there was no more than some pain and limitation of flexion (without flexion limited to 30 degrees), extension (limited to 10 degrees), locking, recurrent subluxation, or lateral instability. The Veteran's current appeal is limited to the period prior to September 23, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal of all remaining issues has been withdrawn by his representative.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic disease within one year post-service, and the VA examiner opined that the left knee disorder is not caused by or aggravated by service-connected pes planus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee instability and degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional treatment records and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current left knee disability, as well as evaluating his psychiatric and low back disorders. The claims will be returned to the Board after these actions are completed.

The Veteran's chondromalacia of the left knee was rated at 10 percent prior to October 5, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not establish that his conditions warranted higher ratings.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left knee disabilities were denied as the evidence did not establish that his conditions warranted higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and an old VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral knee replacements are currently rated at 30 percent each, and the Board finds that there is no evidence of additional disability warranting a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's current left shoulder condition is not related to service, while his right shoulder arthritis may be related to service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability did not originate during service and is not related to his service-connected right hip disability. Therefore, he does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development due to an outstanding hearing request. The Veteran's incarceration status needs clarification before scheduling a hearing.

The Veteran's bunion deformity with hammer toes of the lesser toes on the right foot is granted as secondary to his service-connected left hallux valgus. The other issues remain pending and are addressed in the remand portion.