Knee decisions — 2014

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, restless leg syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea with upper respiratory airway resistance syndrome, excessive weight loss/fluctuation, eczema, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for his left and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral foot disability, as well as whether they were otherwise incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee arthritis was aggravated by his active duty service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, right elbow, and low back disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have currently diagnosed hip, pes planus, low back strain, neck disorder, or eye disorders. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's hyperpigmentation of the face and neck, right knee disorder, and back pain are all found to be related to his service-connected Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB). The heart disorder and hypertension were not shown to be related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for flexor hallucis longus tendon rupture of the right foot secondary to a service-connected right great toe fracture. The Veteran's appeal of entitlement to service connection for left knee and left foot disabilities is dismissed.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for the residuals of a below the knee amputation of his right leg, which he claims was caused by his service-connected right femur fracture and associated nerve damage. The case has been remanded to obtain an opinion on whether the service-connected conditions contributed to the need for amputation.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the case can be decided, including scheduling a DRO hearing and issuing a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability. The reopened claim, along with other issues on appeal, is remanded to the RO.

The Board found no evidence of a current right knee disability during service or within the applicable presumptive period, and concluded that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to her military service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current scleritis of both eyes, and thus denied service connection for this condition. The other issues were remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal involves his right knee disability, including a rating for patella femoral syndrome and instability. He also seeks TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the claim, but denied service connection for a right knee disability as there was no showing of chronic disability resulting from an injury suffered in service.

The Veteran's left knee DJD is rated at 10 percent, effective July 27, 2007. The residuals of his left knee injury are rated at 20 percent from January 6, 2012.,For the period from July 26, 2007 to January 5, 2012, the Veteran's left knee injury residuals were rated at 10 percent. From January 6, 2012, they are rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been rated as 10 percent disabling each, based on arthritis with painful limitation of motion. The Board finds that the current ratings are not adequate to describe the severity and symptoms of his disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ankle sprain, leg length discrepancy, bilateral hip strain, and bilateral knee strain with degenerative changes are at least as likely as not related to active military service. Therefore, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pes planus was granted. The claims for increased ratings for the knees and TDIU prior to September 23, 2005 were denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been limited to no less than 50 degrees of flexion before experiencing pain, and it has not been manifested by flexion limited to 30 degrees or less. The Veteran does not suffer from recurrent subluxation or lateral instability of the right knee. There is no evidence of ankylosis, dislocated or removed semilunar cartilage, impairment of the tibia and fibula or genu recurvatum.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of service connection for a left elbow disability, right knee disability, chronic headaches, and an undiagnosed illness manifested by headaches and joint pain, as well as the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for hypertension.