Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left knee disorders, finding that new evidence supports a link between his current conditions and active duty service. The claim is granted as both knees are found to be related to service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 2, 2010 for her service-connected disabilities of the left hip, right knee, and left knee was granted. The effective date is set at April 26, 2010, which is the day following her separation from active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of various joint conditions, finding that they were not secondary to his service-connected low back disability.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring specially adaptive housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of evidence showing blindness in both eyes, anatomical loss or use of both hands, or preclusion from locomotion without assistive devices.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation, and his TDIU claim has also been denied.

For the period from November 22, 2006 to September 29, 2009, the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's current low back disorder is not etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis with painful motion is rated at 10% from May 1, 2007. The initial rating for his right foot plantar fasciitis remains non-compensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right knee degenerative joint disease are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disorder, left foot disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and acquired psychiatric disorder are not related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claimed low back, bilateral hip, left knee, and left ankle disorders are not service-connected. The evidence does not establish a direct relationship to service or any presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's left knee disability and instability have been evaluated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings granted due to the current range of motion findings.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to clarify whether the Veteran's preexisting right knee condition was aggravated by his active service and if there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the increase in symptoms during service was due to the natural progress of the disease.

The Board has decided in favor of the Veteran, granting service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Veteran's chondromalacia of the right knee prior to September 28, 2009 was manifested by moderate instability and slight limitation of motion. The arthritis of the right knee prior to September 28, 2009 was also mild.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of PTSD, hypothyroidism, and knee replacements were all denied by the Board.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings or restoration of a rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are currently considered direct service connection cases.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated at 10 percent since August 12, 1994.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further medical examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current knee disabilities and right shoulder disability are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition. The Board finds that without a current diagnosis, the criteria for entitlement to service connection have not been met.