Knee Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and granted compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for an allergic reaction to the pneumonia vaccine administered during VA treatment.,Service connection was not established for the bilateral knee disability, as there is no evidence of any injury or chronic condition in service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of both knees. However, service connection is not granted as there is no competent medical evidence showing a link between current knee conditions and military service. The claim for chronic low back disorder remains denied due to lack of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities. However, the claim for a right arm disability is denied. The Veteran's non-service connected pension benefits are also denied.

The Veteran's right knee disability has been manifested by subjective complaints of pain, swelling, and limited motion. The VA examination revealed no ankylosis, lateral instability or recurrent subluxation, dislocated semilunar cartilage, impairment of the tibia or fibula, or genu recurvatum. Despite these findings, the Veteran's right knee disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU rating of 70 percent effective April 12, 2011. His service-connected right knee disability and residuals of head injury have rendered him unable to work since October 28, 2002.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and bilateral hip strain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis. The initial rating for the left knee condition remains at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his claimed disabilities and their relationship to military service. The case will be returned to the Board after these opinions have been obtained.

The Veteran's right knee disability, prior to April 14, 2014, was rated at 20 percent based on arthritis and meniscus condition. The rating is maintained as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD with bipolar disorder was granted, and an initial disability rating of 70 percent was assigned.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right knee, left knee, and left shoulder disabilities as well as his claim to reopen a previously denied bilateral pes planus claim. The evidence did not establish current diagnoses or show that any claimed conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left knee disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of chronic knee pathology during active duty. The Veteran's initial treatment for his knees began several years after he separated from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence establishing a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute substantially to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, special monthly compensation based on the need for aid & attendance/housebound status, and temporary total rating based on surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence associated with a heart attack in March 2010 were denied. The Board also found that extraschedular ratings for his right knee disabilities and residuals of a fracture of the right fifth finger were not warranted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for major depressive disorder, reopening of previously denied claims for left knee disability and low back disability (degenerative changes with low back pain) were remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disability related to his active military service. The bilateral knee osteoarthritis did not have onset in service and was not caused or permanently aggravated by his active military service. The Veteran does not have a diagnosis of ischemic heart disease but has a diagnosis of GERD that had onset in service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current hip, spine, and knee disabilities are not related to his in-service near-fall injury. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.,The VA examiners found no specific diagnoses for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, or bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical records and arrange for an orthopedic examination. The Veteran's left knee disability is being considered for service connection, with the focus on whether any increase in severity during service was due to natural progression of the disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, arranging for a VA examination of the right knee disability and medical opinion regarding functional loss during flare-ups, and considering whether to apply revised rating criteria for TBI.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected right knee arthroplasty is being remanded due to the need for further development, including an examination and consideration of additional schedular criteria. The issue will also be reconsidered in light of recent legal precedent regarding VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there is no direct evidence linking his current conditions to his active service. The VA examinations provided did not support a finding of secondary service connection based on his service-connected pes planus or plantar fasciitis.