Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for further development, including a new VA examination and consideration of whether a separate rating under Diagnostic Code 5258 is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right knee disability is due to aggravation of his pre-existing condition. The claim will be readjudicated after all development is completed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed low back, right leg, left leg, and left eye disabilities are not service-connected as they were not incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee, right hip, and low back conditions are not related to his active service. The evidence did not show any specific injuries or diagnoses in service, and the medical opinions concluded that the Veteran's conditions were more likely due to natural aging rather than service-related activities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection is denied for all issues on appeal.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the increased rating for right knee disability and service connection for left knee disorder before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development including scheduling a hearing, obtaining updated VA treatment records, and providing the Veteran with a new VA examination to assess his left knee disability. The appeal will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a left leg disability, which he asserts had its onset in service. He was also seeking an initial compensable rating for his left elbow arthritis and an initial compensable rating for his thoracolumbar spine disability.,An additional VA examination is necessary to clarify the specific nature of any current disabilities and to provide opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was denied. The issue of reopening his left knee disability claim has been reopened, but the new evidence does not establish that he currently has a left knee disability or that it is related to service. His PTSD symptoms are manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and right shoulder disabilities are not related to his active military service.,There is no evidence of a current disability for the claimed left foot condition.

The Veteran's post-surgical left knee replacement was restored to a 100% disability rating for the period from April 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012.

The Veteran's hypertension was diagnosed in 1992, within two years of service discharge. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on the continuity of symptomatology and reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.

The Veteran's gout was productive of active process with constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement that was totally incapacitating during the period on appeal, warranting a maximum 100 percent disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to an earlier effective date for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the right knee, including consideration of whether there was clear and unmistakable error in a prior rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and a new VA examination. The issues of service connection for a right knee disability and entitlement to SMC are being addressed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hip or knee disabilities and finds no evidence to support service connection for these conditions. The VA examiner's opinion was given significant weight in reaching this conclusion.

The Veteran's left total hip infection and right below the knee amputation are deemed to be due to VA surgical and medical treatment from May 2006 to August 2006, meeting the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.,There is no evidence that the Veteran's chronic rash was incurred as a result of VA surgical or medical treatment.

The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's arthritis of the knees and shoulders is related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board denied presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disability, a left knee disability, and a gastrointestinal disorder (GERD) have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service incurrence/aggravation.