Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and hallux valgus, finding no evidence of a link between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his left knee disability and issuance of a supplemental statement of the case regarding the issue of reopening his service connection claim for a lower back disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and a review of the claims file to determine appropriate disability ratings.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, with a rating of 30 percent for residuals of right knee replacement and the other issues were not addressed due to lack of development.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right knee arthritis and cervical spine disability are secondary to his service-connected back disability, and grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected orthopedic and hydrocele disabilities have been evaluated based on the criteria provided in the decision. The appeal is denied as there are no higher ratings available under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees have been remanded due to new evidence indicating a deterioration in his knee conditions.

The Veteran's asthma is found to be incurred in service, while his right knee disorder is not shown to have been incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the Veteran, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition secondary to residuals of a left leg tumor biopsy has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for duodenal ulcer. The claims for right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The Veteran's left ankle and knee conditions have been rated based on their current manifestations. The left ankle is currently rated at 10 percent since May 30, 2003, and increased to 20 percent as of February 4, 2016. The left knee has a history of ratings from 10 to 20 percent based on the severity of arthritis and instability. Service connection for left foot arthritis is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability and arthritis of knees and ankles are secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. However, there is no evidence of left ankle arthritis during or within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder, knee (pre-arthroplasty), hip, and foot heel spur conditions have been granted initial disability ratings of 20 percent from January 1, 2008 to October 17, 2014. The ankle tendonitis has been granted initial disability ratings of 20 percent from January 1, 2008 to October 17, 2014 and 30 percent from October 17, 2014. The lumbar spine degenerative arthritis has been granted a noncompensable rating from January 1, 2008 to March 6, 2017, and a 20 percent rating from March 6, 2017.

The Veteran's left knee disability is aggravated by his service-connected right ankle and right knee disabilities. The Board finds that the evidence of record supports this finding, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.,The Veteran's low back arthritis is also found to be aggravated by his service-connected right ankle and right knee disabilities. The Board finds that the evidence of record supports this finding, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for her service-connected bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate November 2015 VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to an inadequate opinion in the May 2013 VA examination.

The Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD with major depression, and the Board finds service connection for hypertension is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disorder is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's current bilateral chondromalacia patella is considered to be etiologically related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disability.