Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. The specific conditions and issues are tendonitis of the left knee, lumbar strain, and a compensable disability rating for deviated nasal septum.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or contributed to by any service-connected condition, including his right below-the-knee amputation. The cause of death was cardiac arrest due to myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient VA examination and requests for further examinations of the Veteran's knees and elbows.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination, and because of issues regarding his effective date for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to technical issues with the November 2015 Board videoconference hearing. The case will be scheduled for a new Board videoconference hearing at the appropriate RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee degenerative joint disease were incurred during service, granting his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, but the knee disability is not. The case is being remanded for an addendum opinion regarding the knee disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right knee disorder is not related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities were not incurred in service. The Board determined that there was no credible evidence supporting a direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals of the increased ratings for allergic rhinitis, patellar chondromalacia of the right knee, and gastritis and duodenitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disability and residuals of lipoma excision, as well as his claim for TDIU. The Veteran's left knee disability was rated at 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5258, which is the maximum available rating for dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain and effusion into the joint. His residuals of lipoma excision were not shown to meet any compensable criteria under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and information from Social Security Administration.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that his impairment was analogous to forward flexion greater than 15 degrees without spinal ankylosis or prescribed bed rest.

The Veteran's appeal is for an increased evaluation for his left knee disability, which has been rated at 10 percent. The VA determined that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for instability associated with right and left knee degenerative joint disease, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's gouty arthritis is rated at 60 percent, effective July 23, 2001. The RO denied the request to restore separate ratings for bilateral knee chondromalacia and right foot arthritis with hammer toe.

The Veteran's claim for a right ankle disability, allergic rhinitis, arthritis of the left leg, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were all denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The TDIU claim was also not addressed.

The Board has ordered a remand for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected pes planus aggravated his bilateral knee disability. The case is now being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of fracture of the right tibia and fibula are rated at 30 percent, which is not sufficient to grant a rating in excess of this amount.