Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for heart disease, residuals of gallstone surgery, hypertension, kidney condition, left knee disability, and prostate condition. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be incurred or aggravated in service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an examination, as well as a supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.,It was not factually ascertainable that the Veteran's right knee sprain with instability and left knee sprain with instability increased to a 10 percent disability rating prior to November 24, 2008.,The Veteran's left osteoarthritis acromioclavicular joint with subacromial bursitis is manifested by limitation of motion at shoulder level but not anklyosis. The effective date for the 10 percent rating remains unchanged as it was granted on July 10, 2009.,The Veteran's Achilles tendonitis with osteoarthritis, right ankle and left ankle are both currently rated at 10 percent and have no evidence of ankylosis or other significant impairment. The effective date for the 10 percent ratings remains unchanged as they were granted on July 10, 2009.,For the entirety of the period on appeal, the Veteran's PTSD is manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for the merits of the case.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and determined that his left knee disorder is related to service, granting service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and remanded the underlying issue due to the need for additional development.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's COPD, low back disorder, or arthritis of the right knee to his military service. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, as secondary to his right knee pain, post-operative; and for an increased rating for his right knee pain are being remanded. Additionally, the TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a separate, chronic right knee disability that began during or is otherwise related to his active duty service, including his service-connected back disability. Therefore, he cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is not related to his service-connected bilateral hip disability and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, to include arthritis, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence of record linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied a higher initial rating for the left knee strain and service connection for the right foot disability.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 was managed with diet only during the initial rating period. For the entire rating period, his right and left knee disabilities have been manifested by painful, noncompensable limitation of motion with stiffness, crepitation, and frequent episodes of pain, locking, and effusion. The Veteran's TDIU claim has also been granted.

The Veteran's left total knee arthroplasty is currently rated at 30 percent, with a separate 10 percent rating for instability. The current rating does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability, with a history of instability and degenerative changes post-total knee arthroplasty, is rated at 30 percent. A separate 10 percent rating for instability was granted prior to February 9, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination regarding his right knee disability, as he testified that it has worsened since his last VA examination in June 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed lumber spine disorder and bilateral sciatica, both found to be directly related to his service-connected right knee disorder.

The Board finds that the Veteran's knee disabilities are not service-connected as there is no evidence of chronic knee complaints in service and the medical evidence does not support a finding of current disability related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his instability of the right knee is being remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for an updated VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and back conditions. The evidence submitted since the final denial is considered new and material.