Knee decisions — 2014

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right ankle disorder. His left knee and left ankle disorders are not service-connected.,His patellar chondromalacia of both knees is not shown to be etiologically related to an injury or illness incurred during his active duty service, nor did osteoarthritis of the left ankle manifest within one year after discharge.

The Veteran died in October 2007 and had no pending claims for VA benefits at the time of his death. Therefore, there was no accrued benefit to be paid as he did not have any unpaid periodic monetary benefits due.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his musculoskeletal conditions and abdominal injury, render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for right lumbar spine radiculopathy has been granted. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disorder and an increased rating for the right knee disability are pending.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and assigned an effective date of September 11, 2008. The Veteran's right knee instability is rated at 20 percent disabling, while painful limitation of motion of the right knee is rated at 10 percent. The left ureteral calculus (kidney stone) has been rated as non-compensable.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not related to his military service. The Board found no evidence of a chronic cervical spine disorder during service, and the medical evidence does not show treatment or diagnosis of these problems until 20 years after service.,Service connection for bilateral wrist, right thumb, bilateral eye, and right knee disabilities was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, diabetes mellitus, type II, and various orthopedic conditions. The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the representative withdrew the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service connection claim for arthritis of the knees is denied as there is no evidence showing that he has this condition due to service. His increased rating claims for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees are also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as his attempts to reopen previously denied claims. The evidence submitted since the last denial is not considered new and material.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in requesting hospital records from Hohenfels, Germany. The Veteran's right knee disability may be related to a motor vehicle accident during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee degenerative joint disease is due to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability is related to his military service.,Service connection for a bilateral knee disability, currently diagnosed as bilateral knee strain and osteoarthritis of the knees, is granted.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his left knee disability is related to service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of increased disability rating for Meniere's syndrome, service connection for right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and service connection for rhinitis are pending.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent each, but the evidence does not support a higher rating for either knee.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or instability, as there was no ankylosis of the spine or knees, and the Veteran had not experienced incapacitating episodes related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service separation, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 30 percent disability rating for left knee ligament disorders, effective July 1, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee and ankle, which is secondary to his service-connected residuals of fragment wound of the left thigh, has been remanded due to uncertainty regarding the relationship between these conditions.