Knee Board decisions

The Board has restored the 30 percent disability rating for the Veteran's left knee disability from August 1, 2010 to August 31, 2011.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and to schedule him for appropriate VA examinations. The appeal will be remanded to allow for these actions.

The Veteran's request for a hearing before the Board has been granted, and his case is being remanded due to scheduling conflicts. The appeal regarding service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee will be addressed after rescheduling the hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various forms of arthritis, are related to service. The appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine and left knee were not incurred or aggravated by active service, and therefore, denied her claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions to address the current nature and severity of his bilateral knee disabilities, as well as whether or not his claimed ankle disabilities are related to service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back and right knee disabilities were denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection. The Board also noted that there is no evidence of diabetes mellitus being related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee instability and osteoarthritis were found to not warrant an increased rating or a higher initial disability rating, respectively.

The Veteran's right lower extremity circulatory disease, blindness, and sleep apnea are not related to service. The Board finds that these conditions were not manifest in service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking them to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, bilateral ankle disability, left knee disability, and aggravation of a pre-existing right knee disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disabilities, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, are service-connected. The right knee disability claim is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right knee patellar bursitis has been manifested by flexion of at least 90 degrees and extension of at least 5 degrees; slight instability has not been demonstrated. The criteria for an initial rating higher than 10 percent have not been met.

The Board has granted service connection for patellar tendonitis of the right knee and pes cavus of the right foot. Service connection is also granted for lumbar degenerative disc disease, claimed as a lower back condition, but further development is needed due to an incomplete medical record.

The Veteran's protein deficiency syndrome has been denied. The effective dates for service connection of left knee meniscus tear and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease have also been denied as they are not earlier than the date claims were filed.

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

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his satisfaction with the current TDIU rating and he is no longer seeking an increased evaluation for his left knee disability.

The Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease is found to be proximately due or the result of his service-connected low back disability and associated left leg radiculopathy, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, finding that they were not service-connected.