Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records from the New Jersey Division of Workers' Compensation. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending and will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including a history of injury in service and subsequent surgeries, is found to be related to his active duty. The Veteran does not have any other claimed disabilities that are service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities are related to his military service. The Veteran's lumbago is found to be aggravated by his left ankle disability, while his left knee and left ankle disabilities are found to be causally related to events during his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but the issue of service connection for a left knee injury is not resolved. The Veteran's claim for this condition remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disability and an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence to support a nexus between his current disabilities and service. The Veteran's claim for increased rating was also denied as there is no basis for a higher evaluation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right lateral epicondylitis (elbow disability), right shoulder rotator cuff disability, and a right ankle disability. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left ear hearing loss, a back disorder, bilateral upper and lower extremity numbness, chronic migraines, anxiety and depressive disorders, and bilateral hip and knee disorders. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic sinusitis and headaches, right knee disorder, or left knee disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his right knee, left knee, and left ankle disabilities as secondary to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability is also denied.

The Veteran's left knee replacement has been rated at 30 percent since the July 2010 rating decision. The Board found that his symptoms warranted a higher rating, but denied the claim as of August 31, 2011.

The Board has denied the Veteran's increased rating claims for his lumbosacral strain, left knee, and right shoulder disabilities. The case is now being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's thoracic and lumbosacral strain is found to be secondary to his service-connected lower extremity disabilities. The right knee patellar pain rating prior to September 6, 2007, and the right hip trochanteric bursitis are both granted.

The Veteran developed right knee arthritis due to an injury in service and the evidence is at least in equipoise that this condition is related to his military service. As a result, the Board finds that service connection for right knee arthritis is granted.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant is denied as he does not meet the eligibility criteria. The effective date for service connection of bilateral knee extension issues is denied as it occurred after August 11, 2010. Initial compensable ratings for limited extension of the left and right knees are also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination of the Veteran's left knee and to address his claim for TDIU due to the possibility that there may be a worsening of the disability since the last examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding records and updated VA medical records.

The Board denied service connection for an autoimmune disease and a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not related to her active service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board found that the Veteran's DJD of the knees is not related to his period of active duty from September 1975 to May 1982 and did not find any evidence linking it to service-connected bilateral pes planus, hammertoe of both great toes and bilateral bunions. The claim was denied.