Knee decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee osteoarthritis is not related to her in-service injury and therefore denied service connection for a left knee disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for service connection for supraventricular arrhythmia and bilateral knee ankylosis.

The Veteran's right calcaneus osteomyelitis and left below the knee amputation have resulted in the need for specialized care, dressing changes, decreased balance, and assistance with daily activities. The Board finds that he is entitled to SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability and obtain additional medical records.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to assess the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities and their impact on his ability to perform daily self-care tasks, as this will determine whether he needs aid and attendance.

The Veteran's right knee disability is not manifested by flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, by any limitation of extension, or by instability or recurrent subluxation.,For the period prior to November 20, 2012, the skin disability was treated with topical corticosteroids and affected less than 5 percent of the Veteran's total body surface and less than five percent of the exposed area. For the period from November 20, 2012, the skin disability was treated with topical corticosteroids and affected at most five to 19 percent of the Veteran's total body surface and less than five percent of the exposed area.

The Veteran's right knee disability prior to February 29, 2016 resulted in limited extension (to 10 degrees) and normal flexion (to 90 degrees), warranting a 10 percent rating under DC 5261 for limitation of extension.

The Veteran's left knee instability as residual of left knee injury is rated at 30 percent, effective September 7, 2016. The Veteran also has a separate 10 percent rating for muscle weakness of the left quadriceps (Muscle Group XIV). As of April 21, 2015, but no earlier, his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection and a temporary total rating due to convalescence following right knee surgery. The claims will be remanded to allow for further action, including obtaining medical opinions and VA treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee and congenital cataract in the right eye, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the claims for service connection for low back disability, left lower extremity neurological disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability.

The Board has ordered a remand due to inconsistencies in the September 2012 VA examination with other contradictory evidence contained within the record. The Veteran's right knee disability will be reviewed by a new VA examiner to address whether it is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports and incomplete opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for asthma and a chronic disability involving the knees and ankles, which he believes were caused by his military service in the Persian Gulf.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of any skin disorder and left knee disorder, including whether they are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not related to service and cannot be linked to his service-connected right ankle disability, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee and spine disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active duty, nor manifest within one year of active duty, nor caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral pes planus and ankle disabilities. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to separate compensable ratings for instability of his right knee, as there was no indication of recurrent subluxation or lateral instability during the period on appeal. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the left knee is rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by any of his service-connected conditions, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development of the claims due to inconsistencies in the medical evidence, including a discrepancy between the findings from his VA examination and recent radiology reports.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including a chronic low back and cervical spine disability, bilateral shoulder arthritis, residuals of prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, bilateral ankle arthritis, right knee arthritis, and right hip arthritis, have not been substantiated by the evidence of record. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions had onset during active service or are otherwise related to such service.