Knee Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current knee strain is not related to his service, but he does have a current diagnosis of dry eye syndrome. The issue of cervical spine disability due to service connection remains unresolved.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and to ensure that all relevant records are associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including new examinations to address the etiology of his right elbow and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to address specific directions from a previous remand.

The Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, are not service-connected. The VA examiner concluded that the in-service injuries had no relevance to the current diagnosis of osteoarthritis due to its delayed onset.

The Veteran is granted specially adapted housing due to multiple service-connected disabilities, including the loss or use of the left lower extremity and residuals of organic disease/injury affecting balance and propulsion. The issue of a special home adaptation grant is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's claims for internal derangement of the left knee and instability of the left knee were granted with appropriate ratings. However, his claim for a scar secondary to service-connected disability was denied. The right knee condition remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his claimed bilateral knee disabilities and gastrointestinal disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee osteoarthritis is related to an injury sustained during active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, skin disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, and right wrist disorder are denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 30 percent for his PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right knee condition was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board promulgating a decision.,Service connection is granted for chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis, are not related to his active military service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability did not have its onset during service and was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for the claimed left hand and right hand disabilities, as well as left and right knee disabilities. The Veteran's STRs do not show any in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions. Therefore, service connection cannot be established.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left eye, left knee, and left foot disabilities. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee and right knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the current assigned disability ratings adequately reflect the severity of the Veteran's conditions.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds that a higher rating is warranted for both knees due to their functional impairment. The appeal is mixed as some issues have been granted while others remain denied.

The Veteran's left total knee arthroplasty resulted in intermediate degrees of residual weakness, pain, or limitation of motion. The Board found that the disability did not warrant a rating greater than 30 percent as his symptoms did not meet criteria for ankylosis or other specific diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right knee patellofemoral syndrome and associated instability, as well as a separate initial rating for right knee instability, were denied. Her claim for residuals of medial meniscus tear of the left knee also resulted in denial.